The 76th Annual Hunger Games: Let the Games Begin
by n00bie
Summary: The story of the 24 Tributes picked to fight to the death in the 76th Hunger Games. Rated T for Violence and Language. NEW UPDATE 5/25! First day of Training up!
1. Prologue

_**Authors Note: Hi anyone reading this! This is my first ever Fan Fiction. Of anything. Ever. Hence the username. This is just a short like snippet vaguely describing the background to the 76th Hunger Games. Mainly this will be used for a list of Tributes and any other majorly important announcements... which I don't envision every really occurring. But hey, I was a Boy Scout. Be Prepared. Anyways, enough with the jibberjabber. **_

Katniss pulling out the Nightlock berries at the end of the 74th Hunger Games allowed for there to be two Victors. Most of Panem accepted the story of the Star Crossed Lovers from District 12. The Third Quarter Quell was not a game of Victors. It was something so horrifying that each of the Districts was brought to their knees. Any mumblings of rebellion were completely squashed.

The Third Quarter Quell ushered in a new era of Hunger Games. Arenas were more intense, mutations more brutal, and the Gamemakers more bloodthirsty. And the Capitol soaked it all up. However, this is not the story of the Third Quater Quell. This is the story of the 24 Tributes expected to live up to those standards.

Welcome to the 76th Hunger Games.

**List of Tributes:**

District 1:

Gem Glazner, 18

Pearl Holloway, 18

District 2:

Claudius Ziamba, 18

Cassidy Taylor, 17

District 3:

Tinker Salone, 14

Heba Gabor, 16

District 4:

Seager Seward, 15

Anya VanDyne, 16

District 5:

Callum Chavez, 13

Tessa Sterling, 15

District 6:

Chester Pendragon, 12

Bea Schaffer, 17

District 7:

Danee Collins, 14

Kora Ziegler, 16

District 8:

Anton Findling, 18

Zahar Donato, 13

District 9:

Geo Fischer, 12

Ivy Castillo, 15

District 10:

Harrish Smith, 14

Sasha Fierce, 12

District 11:

Eulric Oruga, 17

Keziah Sanders, 17

District 12:

Carter Volker, 17

Lindy McCallahan, 17

THIS IS NOT A SYOT. SORRY GUYS! Seeing as this is my first FanFiction, I don't want to try that right away and mess up people's character, not finish, etc. etc. Sorry! Stick around, and my next story will maybe a SYOT!


	2. District 1 Reaping

_**Alright, this is the first official chapter! It's a little short, but don't worry, the chapter's will get longer. Let's meet our Tributes from District 1, shall we?**_

District 1 Reaping

_Gem Glazner, 18_

Today is the day I take my place as a star. A celebrity. Today is the reaping for the 76th Hunger Games.

"Gem, time for breakfast!" my mother says as she pokes her head into my room.

I jump out of bed and take a quick shower before heading downstairs. I look at myself in the mirror as I dry off. Tall, sandy hair that is just a bit messy, built like a badass. The clearest blue eyes ever. No wonder I have my pickings of any girl at school. I'm gorgeous.

My parents wait for me with a plate of the finest breakfast meats, eggs, and breads. Not like it's that big of a deal. If I ever wanted this much for breakfast, all I had to do was say so.

"How are you feeling? You ready for today?" asks my father. He seems worried. Anxious. I don't know why, he's been training me for over 10 years now.

"I feel fantastic. I've never been more excited in my life," I mumble as I shove food down my throat. I'm not lying. I'm beyond stoked. It's been a dream of mine to win the Hunger Games since my cousin won when I was 8. I made my parents train me, convinced them not to have any more kids so they can focus on me. I always get what I want. And I want to be a Victor.

I swallow the food in my mouth. "Mom, Dad. Don't worry. I'm the best there can possibly be. There won't be any tributes as strong as me, as fast as me, or as good looking as me." I give my parents my winning smile. They grin, nervously. I guess they really are worried for me.

"I know, sweetheart," my mom sighs. "But we just can't help feel like this is the last breakfast we will ever have together."

I laugh. "Mom, I'm winning. Plain and simple. In about a month's time, we will have an even bigger house in Victor's Village, and all the access to the Capitol that we want."

That's the reason I'm volunteering for the Hunger Games. The Capitol. I want that life style. No, I _deserve_ that life style. The glamour. The money. The pussy. I know I'm destined for more than District 1. And I'm going to do whatever it takes to reach the Capitol, even if it means killing 23 other people.

We leave the house for the reaping, my arm around my mother. She's about to cry. I comfort her the entire way because I know everything will be all right. I was born for the Games. But as much as I tell myself this, I can't get rid of the tiny knot of nerves in the bottom of my stomach.

_Pearl Holloway, 18_

I sit at the table, eating my cereal. It is a solemn morning. No one is saying anything. Which isn't a surprise from me. I hardly ever talk anything anymore.

"I'm volunteering for the Games today," I say nonchalantly.

My mother nearly chokes on her toast, while my brothers just stare at me.

"Wh-what?" my mother practically sobs. "I know we've trained you, but never to volunteer but just in case…"

She was right. My father and her started training my brothers and I when we could barely walk. We weren't expected to volunteer. It was strictly meant to make sure we would make it back incase we were Reaped. Ever since my father died 2 years ago, I kicked up my training. Never telling my family what my intentions were.

"I want to be something. Something better. Something I can't be here in District 1."

That's all I say, and turn my attention back to my cereal. They know I wouldn't be saying anything else.

I'm not smart. I struggle in school a lot. But when I am fighting and training, I become another person. I'm nimble. Aware. Deadly. This would be my chance to prove to everyone that I am worth something. To prove to myself that I was worth something.

My family leaves for the reaping, me leading the way. I hear my mother trying to hold back tears. Life's been hard on her since my father died. But this was something I needed to do. My family gathered in their appropriate places.

The District 1 Escort is looking slightly less bizarre this year. Just a gold full body jumpsuit with matching gold curls. The Mayor reads the usual drab speech. It seems like it takes forever this year. Every second is going by slowly. So ever slowly. I feel the tightening in my stomach. I'm nervous. I start having doubts. Was this stupid? Could I actually win?

Before I knew it, the Escort was up at the ball. He reached into it and grabbed a slip of paper.

"Che-"

"I, PEARL HOLLOWAY, VOULNTEER!"

_Gem Glazner, 18_

Everyone turns his or her head to see who spoke up. I can't even see who is walking up towards the platform. The girl who eventually walks up is short. I mean, really short. She can't be more than 5 feet tall.

"Well isn't that AMAZING?" the Escort screams overdramatically. I just roll my eyes. He is such a fag.

"Is there anything you would like to say?" he asks her. She just stares back at him coolly. She has really long black hair, and really dark eyes. She could be hot, but her body is WAY muscled out. She's gross.

"Um.. well then. Onto the BOYS!" shrieks the Escort. I really can't stand him. "Shaw-"

"I, GEM GLAZNER, VOLUNTEER!"

I can't believe I just said that. My feet start moving to the stage. No, this is wrong. I made a mistake. I don't want to do this. I don-

"Well isn't this FANTASTIC? Two volunteers! Why don't we give them a big round of applause!"

The entire crowd goes nuts. The Hunger Games are a big deal here. Tributes are treated like gods. I remember why I'm doing this. The fame. The glory. The applause.

The girl and I are forced to shake hands. She has a strong grip.

"Good luck," I say, throwing in a little extra dash of charm. She just glares at me. She really is…creepy.

The next thing I know, we are being shoved into the Justice Building by Peacekeepers. Every Tribute is allowed one hour to say goodbye to family and friends. Since I'm so popular, I have a constant stream of people. Mostly girls from school who I may or may not have had the pleasures of enjoying on a regular basis. Eventually it's my parent's turn.

"Oh Honey!" my mom sobs. She wrapped her arms around me. "Be safe," she whispers. "Don't die."

"Son, kick some ass," my dad says solemnly. I realize just how much I am hurting them by doing this. I feel a twinge of regret in the pit of my stomach.

"Don't worry. Please. I'm going to win." And I mean that when I say that. Failure isn't an option.

_Pearl Holloway, 18_

The goodbyes went by slowly. I mean, I didn't have any friends so it was only my family and I. But it was good. I was able to ease their minds about my decision to volunteer. I have never spoken so much in my life.

The train ride to the Capital isn't that long from District 1. There is still plenty of time to watch all the other Reapings and eat. Oh, and listen to Gem.

This boy does not shut the hell up. All he talks about is how awesome and amazing he is. If he weren't so huge and obviously strong, I would kill his ass Day One.

But that isn't an option, because we will be allies. It's an unspoken treaty. Being from District 1 makes us Careers. And Careers stick together.

Before I know it we've arrived in the Capitol. And I know that my time has come. I am Pearl Holloway, the Victor of the 76th Hunger Games.


	3. District 2 Reaping

_**Ready to see how the Reaping went down in District 2? In proofreading, I noticed some of my shifts in time/situations are a little rough. Any suggestion on breaking that up with plot or with physical characters? Oh, and please review! I want to get better at this, and that's only gonna happen if ya give me some feedback. Gracias!**_

District 2 Reaping

_Cassidy Taylor, 17_

My eyes flutter open. I don't even have to look at my clock to know what time it is. It's exactly 6:53 A.M. My internal clock is never wrong. I spring out of bed and run my usual 2-mile route around my neighborhood. It doesn't matter to me that it's Reaping Day. That's no excuse to ruin my schedule.

I stop at my best friend Sonya's house for breakfast. It's not that I don't love my family or don't like my mom's cooking. It's just nice to mix it up. Plus, I love Sonya and her mother. Their house is my home away from home.

"Are you nervous about today?" asks Sonya.

"Of course not. I've been training for years. I plan to volunteer next year anyways."

"You are so brave Cassidy. I could never even imagine going into the arena. I know it's suppose to be an honor and everything, but I would be so scared…"

I just smile. "It's alright Sonya. You know I would volunteer for you in a heartbeat."

At this point, Sonya breaks down into tears. I love my best friend, but I just don't do that weepy emotional bullshit. Emotions are for the weak. And I'm not weak.

After breakfast I head home to shower and put on my reaping clothes. My father is a manager of one of the stone quarries outside of the Main District. So our family always has enough money. I've always had nice things, but I try not to brag about it. I don't want others to see my as a total bitch.

As I head downstairs, I'm greeted by the voices of my brother and sister.

"MOOOOM Joey took my purse again!" Joy screeched.

"NU-UH," shouted Joey. "I DIDN'T TAKE ANYTHING. SHE'S LYING."

They both started to wrestle. All I could do was laugh. My siblings were 13-years-old, but acted like they were 8. I love them anyways. I mean, how couldn't you love your siblings?

"Darling you look BEAUTIFUL in that dress!" my mother exclaims as she walks into the living room. "Sean, don't you think Cassidy is just GORGEOUS?"

"Uh-huh," my dad nods as he walks past. My father is a man of few words. I can't understand how my mother fell for a man who can barely have a conversation.

I look over myself in the hallway mirror. I guess I do look good. I recently cut my hair extremely short. It looks sort of like a boys haircut, but I think it looks fantastic on me. I never really thought I was exceptionally pretty, but my family and friends always talk about my bone structure and long legs and such. Whatever. Physical beauty never really mattered to me.

Before I knew it, we were headed to the town center. Most people were nervous about the reaping. I never was. I mean, I take care of myself and I've been training with makeshift weapons for years now. My family knows, but we never really talk about it. I don't think they know I want to volunteer though.

For some reason, the Hunger Games have always fascinated me. It's the ultimate challenge. Deep down I knew that one-day, I would take that challenge.

_Claudius Ziamba, 18_

I slowly open my eyes. It's nice, sleeping in. Reaping Day is the only day I can ever sleep in. Not even on holidays. Such is the life of a lowly quarry worker.

I've been stuck in the quarry ever since my dad got hurt 2 years ago. There was an accident and he became paralyzed from the waist down. So I had to take his spot at the quarry. It became my job to provide for my family, to make sure there was food on our table. I was only 16.

But there were benefits to the manual labor I performed 364 days a year. I got to drop out of school, which I hated anyways. Also, I became strong. Really strong. I've always been a big kid, but since working at the quarry I've gained a lot of muscle. I can pick up a tray of stone that weighs 200 pounds with no problem.

My mother tries her best as a seamstress, but she never really makes much. My father is stuck at home caring for my 5 little siblings. We are dirt poor. There's been nights we've all gone to be hungry. Those nights I can see the pain in my little brother and sister's faces. I can hear my mother weep from her bedroom because she can't provide. Even I cry. But only in my room, long after everyone has gone to bed. I can't cry in front of my family. I'm the strong one. I have to be the backbone of my family, because no one else can be. Not yet.

You would think being from District 2, the Capitol would go easy on us. But no. I'm one of like 10 kids in the whole district that had to sign up for tessera. But I don't care. I will do whatever it takes to protect and feed my family. Even if it means volunteering for the Hunger Games.

I walk downstairs for breakfast. This morning was a feast- a biscuit and sausage link for everyone. My siblings are excited, nibbling at their food trying to make it last as long as possible.

"So what do you think the arena will be like this year?" my brother Florian asks. He's 16, the next oldest. If I die in the arena, he's the one who will have to take my spot in the quarry.

The twins Theodosius and Theodora start talking at the same time.

"I hope it is jungle full with tigers and lions and-" starts Theodora.

"Psh. I don't care. I just hope it's epic," says Theodosius.

"LAVA. VOLCANOES AND LAVA!" shouts Avitus. Avitus is barely 7 years old. He's still a baby.

"Quite down and finish your breakfast," my mother says solemnly. I've spoken to my parents about my decision to volunteer for the Hunger Games. They aren't happy. They are afraid of losing me. But they know why I am doing it.

"Come on buttercup," my dad says as he picks up my sister Helena and plops her on his lap. "Time to head to the Reaping."

My father leads the family out the door. As I'm about to walk out of the house, my mother grabs my arm.

"Claudius…. Please. Don't do it. We will find a way to get by."

She has tears in her eyes. The sorrowful look in her eyes pains me to no end.

"Momma….." I whisper. "I have to. The kids will never be hungry again. We will have a real house. I have too. For them."

_Cassidy Taylor, 17_

"So I heard that he broke up with Susanna because she was making out with Joseph at the party last weekend. Like, I can't even believe Susanna would ever do that. But so many people saw her. I never picked her out to be the slutty type…"

Terri never shuts up. She's walking along with Sonya and I to the reaping. I mean we really are all friends. And Terri is a sweet girl. But sometimes she just goes on and on and on and…

"OH MY GOD did I tell you about what Zachary did?"

"SHUT UP TERRI," shouts Sonya.

We all stop dead in our tracks. Sonya isn't the explosive type.

"Sorry. I'm just really tense today…" she mumbles.

We walk the rest of the way in silence. We stand together in the 17-year-old girls pen as we wait for the Reaping to begin. Usually it's pretty boring. But our Escort is new this year. It's a woman now, and she looks like a walrus. Really. She's a humongous creature, wearing a brown wrinkly dress. Her hair is long and unnaturally blonde. I will never understand Capitol Citizens.

After a bunch of speeches, it's time for the drawing of the names. Walrus Lady reaches her hand into the giant glass ball and reads out a name.

"CASSIDY TAYLOR!"

I hear a shriek from the adult's section. My mother. I see Sonya sobbing on the ground. Terri is just clinging to my arm. I'm a little shocked at first. This wasn't in my plan. I was going to volunteer next year. But I remove myself from Teri and walk to the stage.

I try to tell my self to relax. I have been training. I'm ready for this. It's just a little bit early, that's all. By the time I reach the stage, I'm calm. I give the Escort a hug and smile and wave to the crowd. I'm ready for this.

"Alright, time to draw the lucky boy!" says the Escort. She even sounds like a walrus.

"EZEKIEL CLEMMENS!"

"I, CONRAD SOMERS, VOLUNTEER"

_Claudius Ziamba, 18_

What? No. This is MY year.

"I, CLAUDIUS ZIAMBA VOLUNTEER!" I scream as I run to the stage. But it's too late. This Conrad kid is already there.

"Oh my, TWO volunteers this year! I'm sorry Claudius bu-"

"Listen you," I growl as I grab the kid by his shirt. He can't be older than 15. "I'm volunteering. Look at you. You're just a babe. You can't even grow a beard yet. Go back to the audience. You wouldn't make it past the Cornicopia."

I throw the kid to the ground. The entire town square is silent.

"I withdraw my name, if that's OK," the kid squeaked.

"Uh, that's not really protocol," the Escort starts. She looks ridiculous. Like a giant shit with a wig on. I just glare at her.

"But since we have another volunteer, I guess we can make an exception," she stammers. "District 1, I give you your Tributes Cassidy Taylor and Claudius Ziamba!"

A slow clap starts. I take my place on stage and shake hands with the girl. She gives me the once over and smiles.

"Just a little excited there huh?" she smirks.

"What can I say? It's my turn to win."

"Too bad buddy. I've got it in the bag this year."

I think I'm going to like her.

~v~

The goodbyes were the hardest part. A few friends from when I went to school and some men I met in the quarry stopped by, but I didn't care about them. I just wanted to be with my family. My siblings are bawling. As in, little Helena and Theodora can barely breath. For some reason, this gets to me. I let the tears flow.

"Listen to me," I say as I hold Florian's face in my hands. Be strong. You're a man now. You're strong. I know you are. I need you to be strong. They need you to be strong."

He just nods his head. I gather all of them into one giant hug. I remind myself this is the reason I'm doing this. For Florian, Theodosius, Theodora, Helena, and Avitus. I will give them a better life.

The Peacekeepers come all too soon. As my family is forced out of the room, my dad just looks at me and says, "Win. I know you can. I expect you home in a few weeks."

And with that, my family is gone.

_Cassidy Taylor, 17_

The train ride to the Capitol isn't long at all. But in that time, I don't get to know much about Cladius. He is a huge guy. Gotta be at least 6'4. And he is BUILT. He head looks like it has been recently shaved, and he has deep gray eyes and a really chiseled face. He is just so…. Rugged. And manly. If I wasn't planning on eventually killing him, I would probably find him extremely attractive. He is quite though, doesn't like to talk much. It's annoying, really. Halfway through the lunch on the train I finally snap.

"Listen bud, you better start warming up to me. Once we get into that arena, we're allies and-"

"I don't do allies. I work alone," he barks.

I just laugh. "Seriously? You're a Career. If you're not part of the pack, you will be hunted down immediately."

"She's right you know," Thorson adds. District 2 is never short on Victors, so they take turns being mentors. This year, Thorson and Enobaria were our mentors.

"I mean, don't you actually watch the Hunger Games?" I say snidely.

"Sorry, I've missed most of the last two years. The whole working 10 to 12 hours a day in the quarry makes it hard to keep up on Capitol entertainment," Claudius shouts as he barges out of the dining room.

The rest of us just finish our meal in silence. I may have royally pissed off Claudius, but I gained some valuable insight. He has a chip on his shoulder. I mean, I don't blame him. The quarry is a shitty place. But I will win him back. Once we get to the training sessions and he sees what I can do, he will take me as an ally. I'm pretty badass if I do say so myself.


	4. District 3 Reaping

_**Another shortish chapter. I think a got a good grip on who these two are. Don't worry, I got plans for these two ;) Please review and let me know what I can do better! Or just review to say hi! I don't care!**_

District 3 Reaping

_Heba Gabor, 16_

I'm bored. Like, really really really bored. I guess I'm bored most of the time, but today at the orphanage it is worse than usual. You would think with it being the Reaping, there would be a buzz of activity going on. But no, everyone is just moping around.

I hate living in the orphanage. I've been here for 3 years now, and I can't wait to turn 17. Once I'm 17, I don't have to go to school. I can get a job and live in a shack on my own. I don't care what I have to do, as long as I get away from this shitty place.

I tend to be really harsh on the orphanage. It's not that bad, I guess. I mean, the facilities are nice and all. It's not like I ever get beaten. It's just that everyone is so…. Stupid. And I'm not even being mean. There is no one here on my intellectual level. I haven't had a good conversation with anyone since my parents died.

I miss my parents. A lot. I miss their laugh, they way they hugged me. I miss making cookies with my mom and talking about all my problems. I miss reading with my dad. I miss our family dinners, where we would contemplate philosophical and social questions that would have had the Capitol at our door. Once they died, I became more inverted. I stopped talking to what few friends I had.

Most people think I'm a bitch. I'm not, really. I just know what I need from interpersonal relationships, and no one I know can give me what I need. OK, that sounds really bitchy. But it's not my fault. I've always been this way.

I think back to what life was like before the accident. How happy I use to be...

So I just sit and play with my bowl of oatmeal. Which sounds way more exciting than it actually is. Before I know it, we are lining up to head to the Reaping. I'm actually excited. Reaping Day really mixes things up. You never know what's going to happen. I appreciate that. I'll take anything to break up my mundane life.

_Tinker Salone, 14_

"TINKER. GET YOUR ASS OUT OF BED NOW."

Ugh. My father. He gets annoyed really easily. Me not being ready at the buttcrack of dawn really annoys him.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," I mumble. I roll out of bed and throw on some pants that I see lying on the ground. As I walk to the bathroom, I find a shirt. I sniff it. Smells clean enough, so I put it on.

After splashing some water on my face, I walk into the dining room. My mom already has breakfast made, oatmeal and orange juice. I hate oatmeal, but that's the staple in District 3. Beggars can't be choosers. My family really isn't poor. We just don't have a whole lot of money. My dad is an inventor, always trying to create new products. Most end up failing, but every now and then he sells and idea to a company and we have good food for a few months. My mom works in one of the factors. She helps create telephones.

"So Tinker, did you finish all of your homework last night?" asks my mom.

"Yup. It wasn't hard at all. I should be getting a B on it."

"If you actually did an assignment sooner than the day before, you would have all A's," my dad growls.

So what, if I'm lazy? I'm never going to amount to more than a factory worker here in District 3? Why do I need to spend so much time at and in school? It's pointless. If my parents knew how much I cut class, I would be dead meat. I go just enough to get important assignments and lectures. I don't even bother with useless crap like gym.

"I'm gonna go see Foster before the Reaping. I will see you guys after," I say as I clear my plate. I'm not to worried about the reaping. This is only my third year eligible, and I've never taken out tesserae. SO many other people have their names in a bunch. I'm safe.

"Sup Mrs. K," I say as I walk into Foster's house.

"Hi Tinker, Foster's up in his room," she yells from the kitchen.

I walk up to Foster's room. Foster is my best friend. We've been friends since we were like 5. Friend isn't even the best word to describe our relationship. Foster is my brother.

"Hey Tinker, CATCH!" Foster shouts as I open the door. I move too slow. The ball makes direct contact with my face.

"You SHIT!" I scream as I tackle him off his bed. We wrestle around, and eventually fall into laughter.

"Nervous about today punk?" Foster asks. He is always insulting me.

"Nope. I won't get reaped. You, on the other hand… you're damn ugly. I wouldn't be surprised if it is rigged to get rid of your ugly mug." OK, I guess I do a little bit more with the insults.

"Dude don't say that. That's like…. Bad karma."

"Oh calm down. That shit isn't real."

"Whatever you say…" Foster mumbles.

~v~

We walk to the Reaping together. We take our spots, and wait for the festivities to begin. After all the talking, the Reaping finally begins. The escort reaches into the girl's ball, and pulls out a name.

"HEBA GABOR, come on up!"

A girl I've never met walks up to the stage. She looks surprisingly calm for being picked to die. The Escort reaches into the boy's ball, and shouts out a name.

"TINKER SALONE!"

Fuck.

_Heba Gabor, 16_

I watch the boy walk slowly up to the stage. He looks terrified. I was terrified too, for about 3 seconds. Then I realized that the Games were my chance to escape. I will be out of the orphanage forever. I will be thrown in a brand new situation. For whatever few weeks I have left, I will never be bored.

As we shake hands, I see that he is on the brink of tears. I want to say something to cheer him up, but I don't know what to say. We either have to kill others or be killed ourselves. Not a lot can brighten up this situation.

~v~

It only takes me a minute of sitting alone in the goodbye room to realize that no one is coming. I have no one. Absolutely no one. I burst into tears. I spend a good half hour sobbing. I cry for my parents. I cry for the friends I use to have. I cry for myself. About halfway through my fit, I run out of tears. Nothing else drips from my eyes.

I decide this is the only time I will cry. I will win. I'm beyond smart. I'm a genius. I can figure out these Games. That's all they were. A game. I never lose when I play a game. And when I win, I will get everything I need. I will be able to tour all of Panem. I will have access to the Capitol and all the scholars that must live there. Behind all the outrageous clothing there must be brains somewhere. I will find them. I will resurrect the life I use to have. Deep down, I know that I'm going to be the next Victor.

_Tinker Salone, 14_

I just play with my peas during lunch. We are already on a train, headed straight for the Capitol. Towards my death.

The goodbyes were horrific. I cried the entire time. I sobbed in front of my parents, Foster and his family, and even people from school. I couldn't help it. It really pissed me off then we got to the train, it was clear Heba hadn't cried. At all. I don't understand how she could be so calm. She isn't a Career. She is going to die.

"So it's time to start discussing strategy," Beetee says. Beetee is one of the few Victors from District 3, and the only one left who could actually Mentor properly. So while most Districts have 2 Mentors, we only have 1. Yup, I'm gonna die.

"What's the point," I mumbled. "We're just gonna die right away."

"Well, maybe you will. But I have plans to make it all the way. So I'm open for discussion," Heba says perkily.

I just stare at her. I can't believe she is so…. Happy.

"What are you looking at?" she asks. "I'm not going to just roll over and die. I'm a fighter. And if you don't want to fight, then just leave Beetee and me alone so District 3 can finally have another Victor," she snaps.

I feel the tears starting to well in my eyes.

"Oh great, you gonna cry now? Good idea. Because crying is SO gonna help you win."

"You are a such a BITCH!" I scream as I storm off to my room. I hate her. Who does she think she is to judge me?

I just sit on my bed and cry. I cry until I finally fall asleep.

_Heba Gabor, 16_

"You don't have to be so harsh on him," Beetee says quietly.

"Sorry. I'm just not in the mood for waterworks," I say nonchalantly. "Beetee, how am I going to get out of the Arena alive?"

"It depends on what skills you have."

"I'm smart. Really smart."

"That's great, but so will a lot of the other Tributes. What can you actually do?"

"You don't get it. I am really smart. I've read almost all of Chekov's works. I've been doing calculus since I was 11. I know all the major properties of electricity, thermodynamics, and mechanics by heart. With my brain, I can do anything."

Beetee starts to smile. "Anything huh? You a quick learner?"

"Very." I say. "I'm good with my hands. I should be able to pick up skills quickly. But there is one thing I want Beetee.

I know all about whom Beetee is, how he won his Games. Victors are sparse. He is the biggest celebrity on District 3. Which is sad, when you look at him.

"I want you to teach me how to make traps."


	5. District 4 Reaping

_**Hey everyone! For all 5 of you sticking with me, I really appreciate it! I'm hoping you are starting to get a good feel for our Tributes in the 76th Hunger Games. I really enjoyed writing these two, so I hope you like them too. Please, leave me a review! I'm new at this, and I WANT to get better. I know I'm not perfect. If you have any comments, critiques, criticisms let me know! Oh, I FINALLY figured out the page break thingamabobber. Gracias mi amigos! Onto District 4!**_

District 4 Reaping

_Anya VanDyne, 16_

"Hi sweetie. You need to wake up. We have some sorting to do before the Reaping," my father whispers as he shakes me awake.

I somehow manage to pull on clothes and make my way to the dock. My family lives in a nice house on the beach. My parents own their own fishing company. We aren't insanely rich, but we live comfortably.

It takes about an hour to sort through all the fish from the overnight haul. Afterwards I spend about an hour scrubbing the smell of fish off my skin and out of my hair. Most people from District 4 are totally used to the smell of fish. I hate it. As I walk down for breakfast, my parents both give me giant hugs, bigger than usual. This happens every reaping day.

"How you feeling honey?" my mother asks worriedly.

"I'm fine Mom," I say as I manage to break away from their grasp.

"You sure?" my father adds. "Do you want some stomach calming medicine?"

"There are like, hundreds of thousands of pieces of paper in the girls Reaping. My name is hardly in there."

"But you're 16 now, so your name is in there more than most girls," my mother says.

"I'm trying not to think about that. If I get Reaped, we deal OK? It's not like I'm some weak bimbo!" I say angrily. I'm on the tip of shouting, and I NEVER shout. I keep my cool all the time, and try to keep quite. It's like they think if I get Reaped, it's an automatic death sentence. They don't think I could live. Even though I've been fishing since I was little, even though I've been doing gymnastics for 13 years, even though I am always at the top of my classes. It's like they never have faith in me.

"We're sorry honey, we know, it's just that-"

"It's just that you're nervous for me. I get it. I think I can be nervous enough for all of us," I snap, interrupting my father.

I guess I am being a little rough on them. I know it can't be easy. But I don't need a constant reminder of what might happen if I am Reaped.

I decide to just grab some toast and head to see my best friend Orman. We've been best friends since we were little. Most people think we're dating, but we're not. Orman is like my brother; I could never have romantic feelings for him. It's hard because I know he is in love with me, but I'm not in a place to look for a relationship with ANYONE.

"Hey Anya," Orman greets me. He's sitting on the swing that's on his porch. I sit next to him and lay my head on his shoulder. We sit like that for a while before he speaks up.

"I'm terrified. I always am on this day."

"Me too," I whisper.

We head out to the Reaping. As we walk, I talk his hand in mine. Not in a romantic way. But as a pillar of support. I need him right now.

_Seager Seward, 15_

"But I don't wanna take a shower. The water is COLD!"

"I'm sorry Bertie. Today is Reaping Day. You need to be clean. Now go."

I watch my little brother drags his feet into the bathroom. I feel his pain. The water is ice cold. But it's my responsibility to make sure my family is presentable. I had to fight to keep my brothers out of an orphanage after my parent's accident 7 months ago. I can't have them going out in public dirty.

Life really sucks. I'm only 15; I shouldn't be taking care of a 12 and 8 year old. I should be in school, not working 3 jobs. But I can't help what happened. I can only deal with keeping my family together. I look over to the mattress and see Seaton still sleeping. I kick him.

"Hey, wake up. You need to cook breakfast, take a shower, and make sure Bertie and you are ready for the Reaping. I have to go to work, and will only be back just before it's time to leave."

"Mmmhmmshableha," he mumbles. I know he heard me though.

I walk out of our shack and onto the road leading to the docks. I'm lucky to even have my brothers in our shack. After our parents died, Peacekeepers took our house and most of our belongings as payments of debt to the Capitol. Luckily, Coral was kind enough to rent out the shack for dirt-cheap to my brothers and me.

I spend two hours on the ocean, checking the nets and bring them up. I actually don't mind fishing. I love being on the water. I thought up a way to set up the nets in certain positions to maximize the haul. I'm not amazingly smart, but I can have my moments. Things like that make boat captains willing to higher a 15-year-old. It's hard work, checking the nets by myself, but it keeps my mind off of how horrible things are for my family on shore.

~v~

I have to run back to take a shower before the Reaping. From the shower I can hear my brothers arguing from the other room. The shack only has one small room that serves as a bedroom, kitchen, and dining room and then a small closet that has a toilet and shower.

"But Seaton, I'm reallllllly hungry and today's a special day. Can't I have a little bit more?"

"Fine. Have a little more mush," Seaton says.

We don't have enough food. Period. Both Seaton and I had to sign up for tessera. I tried to work as much as I could to make sure Seaton wouldn't have to, but in the end we were starving.

We walk Bertie over to Coral's before the Reaping. Since he is only 8, he can't be in any of the pens. Coral offered to stay with him at the town square until after the Reaping. I'm beyond nervous for the Reaping. Seaton can't go into the Arena. He can't. I can't lose someone else. I love him too much to watch him die in the Arena. Most twelve-year-olds have their name in once, and he has three. There have been a lot of younger kids getting Reaped in the last few years.

As we get to the town square, I can see the worry in Seaton's eyes. I walk him to the twelve-year-olds pen, and hug him.

"Don't worry. We stand and listen to some talking and then we go home. The Three Sea's will be together this afternoon."

He smiles and I walk over to my place. This year's Reaping is nothing special. Lots of talking about how great the Capitol is and how horrible the Dark Days were, the importance of the Hunger Games, blah blah blah. Finally, the Escort picks a slip of paper.

"ANYA VANDYNE!"

I gasp. I actually know her! Well, I don't really know her, but know of her. She is a year older than me and a year a ahead of me at school, but EVERYONE knows Anya VanDyne. She was by far the most gorgeous girl in the school. She's a tall, blonde, tan, sea blue eyes, just perfect. Every single guy has a crush on her.

But I don't have time to mourn for Anya. I am too busy thinking about Seaton.

"Please don't be Seaton, please don't be Seaton, please don't be Seaton," I mumble under my breath.

"SEAGER SEWARD!"

Well, at least it isn't Seaton.

_Anya VanDyne, 16_

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck," is all I can say as I pace around the room.

They haven't brought in anyone to say goodbye yet, but I'm already freaking out. At least on the inside. As soon as my name was called, I wanted to just scream and cuss. I never cuss. I don't even think cuss words. But that's all I can say right now. Fuck.

A bunch of my friends from school start pouring into the room. Everyone is crying and bawling, and I start too. Eventually everyone is kicked out and Orman and my parents are brought it. By this time there had been so much crying, that tears were just slowly rolling down my cheeks. I am almost cried out.

Orman just comes right over and kisses me, and I let him.

"I love you," he says.

"I know," I respond.

He just laughs. "You know? Wow, way to ruin a mood."

"I'm sorry Orman. You know I love you, just not in that way. I'm so sorry. I wish I would." He looks completely devastated as I say this.

"Well, then. You need to win. So you can come back here, and we can have a chance to see if that changes."

He hugs me tight, and leaves. I'm alone with my parents now. Surprisingly, they just watched the whole interaction between Orman and me and didn't say anything. That's so not like them.

"I love you guys. So much," I say as I hug them both. We just stay like that for a while. Just hugging. I've never known my parents to be speechless. But it seems that losing me has taken their voice. For some reason, this feels right. We don't have to speak. This quite time is just what I needed.

As I leave the Justice Building, I'm actually calm. I've gotten all of my emotions out. I'm ready to concentrate on winning.

~v~

Seager and I sit awkwardly in silence in the dining room on the train. Our Mentor's haven't come to talk to us yet. I find myself staring at Seager. He's just a little taller than me, pretty average for a boy. He's really skinny, but there is obviously some muscle under there. His hair is really red and pretty short. His eyes are the most dazzling green I have ever seen. He seems really familiar. Finally I break the silence.

"Do I know you from somewhere? You look really familiar."

"Uh, we use to go to the same school. I was a grade below you," he says.

"Ohhhh. That's probably it. Wait, what do you mean we use to go to the same school?"

"I dropped out. I have to work to support my family."

He obviously does not look too comfortable talking about this, so I drop it. A few minutes later, our Mentors walk in.

"Hello you two. I'm Finnick, and this is Mags. We will be your Mentors. Let's get lunch in here and we can start talking," Finnick says with a sparkling smile.

Oh my God. .God. Finnick Odair. I am in the same room as Finnick Odair, and he is even more gorgeous in person than on television. I can't stop staring at him. He is so….. Perfect. Our Escort is nowhere to be found. Which is fine by me, he kind of annoyed me anyways. Besides. Finnick Freakin' Odair is here. So lunch is brought in for just us District 4'ers.

"Alright you two. What can you do? Besides swimming, knots, and the like." Finnick asks.

"Uh, I can't really do anything else. But I've always been really athletic and stuff in gym. And oh, I do gymnastics and I am really really flexible!" I say a little too eagerly. I instantly start blushing. Great. Finnick Odair probably thinks I'm a slut now.

"I can use a spear," Seager sas. "From fishing and stuff."

"Hmmmm. Not as much as I and hoped, but workable. Alright, here's what you need to do…." Finnick starts.

I can't believe this. He and Mags start talking strategy with us, telling us what we need to start doing as soon as we step off the train. Apparently the Games have already started. The more we talk, the more comfortable I get. He really knows what to do, and it seems he wants to see one of us live though this. I really think I have a shot at winning.

_Seager Seward, 15_

Saying goodbye was awful. All I could think about until the Mentors came in was my brothers. I spent the majority of my goodbye hour with them. They cried, a lot. For some reason, I didn't. I guess I've gotten use to having to be strong for them. I won't let myself cry in front of them. Bertie's words echo through my mind.

"Please come back Seager. Please please please."

I promised him I would. What else could I have said? But I plan to keep that promise. Right now, Seaton and Bertie are in the orphanage. I have to come back from the Games. I have to keep my family together.

When Finnick and Mags finally arrive, I start to realize how good my chances really are. They are both incredibly smart. They know what to do. After lunch we gather in a different room to watch the other Reapings, and start analyzing the other Tributes.

"Alright," says Finnick. "You guys need to stick with the usual Career alliance. There seems to be a couple of strong people from other Districts, like both from 11 and the boy's from 7 and 12. But it's going to be better to stick with the Careers. Now, you need to start building up your identity now so we can work on sponsors…"

I can't believe how down to Earth Finnick is. It's no secret he is the biggest womanizer in all of Panem. I expected him to be cockier, more arrogant. I mean, if I had my choice of any girl in Panem….. No. Stop. I can't think about that. Especially with Anya here. No feelings. Just concentrate on winning.

I start to analyze the Career's from 1 and 2. They seem like your average Tributes from Districts 1 and 2. Which may work to my advantage. As soon as my name was called I've been trying to think of a plan. Finnick has helped me set on the right path- stick with the Career's. I'm clearly the youngest and possibly the weakest of all of them. Well, I may be stronger than Anya, I can't tell. But I know I will I can't appear to be too weak. Then I am useless, nothing but extra baggage. I need to be somewhat useful to the Career's.

~v~

It takes me forever to fall asleep that night. I don't know if it's the being on the train, missing my brothers, or my mind trying to create a master plan. I don't know what is going to happen in the Arena. But I am going to do everything I can to work these Games and make sure that I don't come back in a wooden box.


	6. District 5 Reaping

**_Sorry it took so long to update!(Well, to all 4 of you who care at this point). I'm actually writing sort of far ahead so I don't let this go, and I'm having a tough time getting through the last few Reapings. I just want to get to the good stuff already! Oh, I figured out something better for the time breaks. I've gone back and edited the other chapters. Please, read and review! I'm serious. I need to know what I can do to get better. Thanks!_**

District 5 Reaping

_Callum Chavez, 13_

"How's my baby boy this morning?"

"Mom, stop it. I'm 13. I'm not a baby. I haven't been a baby in a really really really long time."

"Sorry hun, you will always be my baby."

Ugh. I love my mother, I do. But I am so over her treating me like a baby. Just because I'm the younger brother, doesn't mean I am always the baby."

"Morning fatass," my older brother says as he walks into the kitchen

"KEVIN," my mother says sternly.

"What? It's true! Look at him. He's fat."

My brother is right. I am fat. I almost waddle when I walk. But it's not all my fault. Yeah, I like to eat. But I exercise too. But the weight just doesn't fall off.

"Well, I remember a certain someone who use to be fat too," my mom says in my defense.

"Yeah, I was fat. But am I now? NOPE," Kevin says as he tussles my shaggy brown hair. He may give me crap about my weight, but I know he loves me. Besides, I know where he keeps his porn stash. So our teasing always balances out.

We all sit together and start eating breakfast. It's no use waiting for Dad, as he had to work the graveyard shift at the power plant and is still sleeping. This morning has been surprisingly not tense. For being Reaping Day.

"Mom, I'm going to go see Tanisha. See ya after the Reaping"

"Kevin, wait-"

But it's too late. He's out the door. Tanisha is Kevin's girlfriend. They've been dating forever now. With him being 18 and all, it's only a matter of time before they get married.

To be honest, I'm pretty jealous of Kevin. He's tall, good-looking, popular, and strong. Everything I'm not. My parents say I will grow just like him, but I don't think I ever will. I'm afraid I will be stuck in this short fat body forever.

As I help clear the dishes, I start to get nervous. I know my odds of being Reaped are pretty low, but it's still really scary. I don't wanna die.

I walk to the town center with my mom and my dad, who kinda looks like a zombie right now. The closer we get, the more I start to shake. My parents grab my hands, and almost immediately I stop shaking. OK, I guess I am still kind of a baby.

~v~

I find my friend Horace and join him in the 13-year-old's section.

"Dude, guess what?" he asks me

"What?" I say. "Did you finally convince Sasha to go on a date with you?"

Horace starts to smile really wide.

"Dude NO WAY. She's like, the prettiest girl in our grade!"

"I KNOW dude. We are going over to my house to watch TV after the Reapings."

"Well, good luck with that. Nothing but Hunger Games stuff will be on," I say snidely.

"Callum, don't be jealous. I will try to find out if any of her friends like you OK?" he says trying to appease me.

I just grunt an OK and look at my feet. I can't help to be jealous. It seems everyone around me is just…. Better than me. And I'm just tired of it. Before I can complain anymore, the Mayor steps up to the podium and Reaping Day begins.

_Tessa Sterling, 15_

As I walk into the kitchen, I can't keep my yawn in.

"Tessa… were you up reading again?" my mom asks with a smile.

"Of course not," I answer. "Why would I ever do such a thing?"

She knows me so well. We have always been close, but ever since my dad died when I was 9, we have grown even closer. We love to read, and learn. She's a teacher; I'm a perfect student. We don't have a lot, but we don't need much. All we need is each other and some books.

"Well, I guess I can forgive you this ONE time," she jokes.

"Oh thank you mother dearest, I appreciate it so much," I say in my sweetest little girl voice.

Over breakfast, we start talking about school. Anything to keep our minds off this afternoon.

"So Tessa, any cute boys you have your eye on?"

"Moooooooooooom…"

"What! I have a right to know. I'm surprised that we don't have boys lining up at our door!"

I want to argue with her, but I can't. I want to tell her I feel so unpretty and plain, and like I am nothing special. My hair is just plain brown and shoulder length, my eyes are an ugly deep brown color, I break out every month, and my nose is a little to far from my mouth. But I say nothing, because my mom and I look so much alike, insulting my own looks would be like insulting her.

"Well, there is this one boy in class…."

"Ohhh, what's his name? Is he cute? How old-"

"Mom, stop. He doesn't know I exist."

"Oh sweetie, I'm sure he does."

He doesn't. Yesterday, he nearly ran into to me, causing me to drop by books all over and he didn't even notice. I'm invisible.

"Mom, can we not talk about this? Can we talk about Shakespeare instead?"

I love Shakespeare. Everyone hates reading about him in class, but I have such a deep appreciation for all of his work. Maybe because I realize how lucky that most of his work survived over all the wars, especially the Dark Days. Supposedly, he wrote DOZENS of plays and over a HUNDRED sonnets. A lot have been lost, but every now and then I see a mention of _The Taming of the Shrew_ or _A Midsummer Night's Dream_, and I spend hours daydreaming about what these could possibly have been about.

My mom and I spend the next 2 hours discussing the play _Romero and Juliet_. My mom absolutely loves it, but it isn't one of my favorites. I don't know, I just don't buy the whole instantly in love thing.

"Shoot!" my mom yells. "We only have 45 minutes before the Reaping! You need to get upstairs and shower. Quick quick! You know I love you, but we need to need to cut some of these conversations shorter. You need to be talking to your friends for hours, not your mother! This afternoon, we work on getting you a life," she smiles.

I know she is just teasing me, but there is some truth behind it. My mother wishes I got out more. Sometimes I feel like I really want to. But books will always be there for me, will always be my comforting blanket. I couldn't imagine being torn away from them by a bunch of silly girls.

~v~

We walk over to the Reaping holding hands. I love my mother more than anything. Each year we don't talk about this day. It's too painful to even think about. I kiss my mother, and head over to my area. Our escort is surprisingly toned done this year- her skin color is baby blue and she has a magenta wig on. Before I know, she reaches into the glass ball with all the names on it.

"TESSA STERLING!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO," my mother shrieks from somewhere in the crowd. I don't know what to do. I feel my feet moving towards the platform, but I'm not controlling them. I'm so confused. How could this happen? I'm so angry, upset, hurt, sad, furious…..

"CALLUM CHAVEZ!" I hear the Escort shout. I look to the crowd. A short, fat boy is making is way to the stage. He doesn't look like he is that old. As he walks up to the stage, I notice he is fighting back tears. Crying? Is that what I should be doing right now?

We shake hands and are ushered to the Justice Building. I still don't know what's going on.

_Callum Chavez, 13_

Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry. That's all I think as I sit waiting for people to come say goodbye to me. I'm actually able to hold back my tears while I say goodbye to all my friends. Even when talking to Horace, I manage to keep my tears back.

"Dude….. I'm sorry. I can't even…." Horace stutters. He doesn't know what to say.

"Thank. For being my friend. For everything," I say. I finally start to cry. "You're my best friend. Please, do everything that I could never do. Don't let my death stop you…"

"You're not gonna die Callum! You're gonna win and… and…."

"Hey. Kiss her for me will ya?"

Horace laughs. "Sure thing buddy."

And with that, he's gone. Finally my family comes in. I just stare at Kevin. Suddenly I feel rage building inside of me. I run to him and shove him.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU VOLUNTEER? YOU'RE 18! YOU COULD WIN! I HAVE NO SHOT," I scream as tears roll down my face. I'm so angry. I keep pushing and punching him, and he tries to deflect my fists.

"Callum, I…. I'm sorry. I don't know. I wanted to. But I couldn't move. I wish I could go back and take your place. I wish more than anything," he sobs.

"I'M GONNA DIE KEVIN. I'M GONNA BE DEAD. YOU COULD HAVE LIVED. BUT I'M GONNA DIE. I'M DEAD. DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD!" I weep. I finally stop hitting him, and collapse into his arms.

"I'm gonna die Kev. I'm gonna die…" I moan. He just hugs me. Tight. Like a good older brother. I feel safe, like he is gonna take care of me. But I know he can't. How could he? My parents join our hug, and we all just cry. Eventually, we stop.

"Son, I love you," my dad says. Someone must have run home and got him from bed so he could be here.

"I love you too Daddy," I whisper. I can't believe this is gonna be the last time I will probably see my family.

"You such a smart boy. You can find a way. Hid somewhere. Or do something. I know you can figure it out," my mom says as her voice cracks. She's trying to keep hope alive.

"Ok Mom. I will."

I try to smile. I want to make our last few minutes as happy as possible.

"Remember that time that tried to make a cake, but used salt instead of sugar?" I say. "And how I after you each took a bite and gagged and nearly puked? Remember that?

"How could we forget? I tasted salt for 3 whole days afterwards?" my father says gently.

"Remember that please. Remember all our good times. Not our fights. Not how I die… if I die. Please. I want you guys to be happy."

_Tessa Sterling, 15_

I'm still in shock during my goodbyes. A few girls from school that I eat lunch with stop by , but it was mostly my mother and I for the hour. She sobs and cries for the entire hour. I feel like I should be crying. But I just…. Can't.

"Honey, you have to comeback. Please. You must win. You are my reason for living. I can't lose you. I can't be alone. Please baby, win. Please."

I promise my mom that I will. After the hour, the Peacekeepers have to literally drag her away. I try to hold her hand as long as possible, but soon she is gone.

Before I know it, I am on a train headed to the Capital. I sit at a table with the boy who got reaped, Callum. He isn't saying much, just playing with his peas. His eyes are puffy and red. He's obviously been crying.

"Well!" our Escort exclaims. "Should we go find the Mentors so we can start reviewing the other District's Reapings? We want you to be ready to go into the Arena!"

All of a sudden this becomes real. So real. Way too real. I scream. The noise I make is inhumane, and makes Callum and the Escort jump.

I stand up and try to run, but I just collapse on the floor, sobbing.

"No…..NO. My mother! I can't leave. This is a mistake. Take me back, please turn the train around. Please….. please. This isn't right. Please. My mother…. My mother! MY MOTHER NEEDS ME. TURN AROUND!" I shriek to no one in particular. I lay on the ground weeping and sobbing for what seems like hours. Then I feel something strange. A hug.

"Shuuuuuush," Callum whispers. "It's gonna be ok. It will all work out."

I want to scream at him. Is he stupid? We are going to die! But my tongue can't form any words. Instead, I hug him back. He's so soft and… squishy. I hold on for dear life. We stay like that for a while, be crying and hysterical, and him calm and holding me. I eventually look up and see he has tears rolling down his face too.


	7. District 6 Reaping

**_Alright, after this we're halfway done with the Reapings! Exciting, I know. Again, I want to say thanks for reading! Please leave reviews! I'd really appreciate it! _**

District 6 Reaping

_Chester Pendragon, 12_

I toss and turn in my bed. I can't sleep. I'm too nervous. Today, well at least I think it's today, is my first Reaping. I turned 12 a week and a half ago, so my name goes into the Reaping for the first time. I wish my birthday were right after the Reaping instead of right before. I know the odds are in my favor to not get picked, but I still can't help but feel nervous.

I finally drift off to sleep, but it doesn't feel like very long. Before I know it, my older sister Jessica is shaking me awake.

"Come on Chest. Time to wake up."

I groggily walk down stairs into the kitchen. My mother is hard at work cooking breakfast. She always makes a big breakfast on Reaping Day. Jessica is already sitting down at the table. Jessica is 14, and already been through Reaping Day.

"Jessica…. Is it scary? Waiting with all the other kids?" I ask as my mom serves us pancakes.

"Uh…" she starts. She glances nervously at my mom. "Not really. I mean, there are so many names in the ball. And so many kids have to take out tessera, and we don't. It's really not that big of a deal."

That makes me feel a lot better. I'm still pretty nervous, but if my sister says I'm not gonna be Reaped, then I won't be. Or so I tell myself.

My dad walks into the kitchen. I run and give him a hug. He's just gotten out of the shower and gotten dressed, so he smells like his cologne. He smells good.

"Hey buddy," he says as he picks me up and swings me around. I know it's kinda babyish, but I still like it when he does that.

"Chest, can you do me a big favor? I need you to run this letter over to Aunt Sally. It's work stuff, so I need you to be careful."

"Course Dad. I can do it." My parents have been letting me do more and more things to help around lately. I hate having to take out the trash and set the table for dinner, but when they ask me to do stuff like this I really don't mind.

My Aunt Sally only lives 3 blocks away, so it's a quick trip. She gives me a hug and a cookie before sending me back home.

As I'm walking home, someone comes from behind me and pushes me to the ground.

"OW!" I cry as I hit the ground.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA poor little Chester can't keep his balance. How sad, dontcha think guys?"

I know that voice. It's Calvin. He's a year older than me, and is always bullying me. He and his friends are always teasing me, but hardly ever actually hit me.

Soon I see his foot coming towards my face. I'm able to put by arms in front of my face just in time, but it still hurts. Calvin and his friends take turns hitting and kicking me, and I just lie there crying. Eventually they stop and walk away laughing.

I manage to limp home.

"Oh my God what happened!" my mom cries out as I walk into the house.

"Nothing," I whimper.

"Who did this to you? Who? Was it Calvin? That boy is no good I swear one day he is gonna…" my mom starts. I tune her out. She always gets like this when I tell her about Calvin.

My mom washes me up and pulls out my nicest clothes. We always wear our nicest clothes to the Reaping. I still am a little sore from being beat up, but I don't feel too bad. Once everyone is ready to go, we walk to the Reaping. I'm still nervous. I want to hold my mom and dad's hands, but I don't. I really don't want to look like a baby.

_Bea Schaffer, 17_

I'm not sure where I am. I know it's some sort of warehouse, but I'm not sure where it is. I know there is light streaming though the cracks in the boarded up windows though. So it must be morning. I scrounge around, not caring which sleeping bodies I kick or stumble over. I find a needle that seems to be half full. I jab it into my arm and release the morphling into my bloodstream.

I stumble out the door and take in my surroundings. The sun is really bright. Fuck. I hate the sun. I pick a direction and start walking down the road. Luckily, I pick the right direction. After about a half hour of walking, I realize that I made it to the slums. Or home, as I like to call it. Except I'm not going home. There's no morphling there. I knock on the door of Cornelia's house.

"Hey BeaBea! How was last night? Wild? Crazy? Did you try that new stuff? I heard it's FANTASTIC."

"Cornelia, shut the fuck up. I need morphling."

"Ohhh grumpy huh? Haven't had your morning fix yet? Come on in."

Cornelia annoys the shit out of me, but she gives me morphling at an extreme discount or for free. So that makes her my best friend. We sit at her kitchen table and start shooting up.

"God, I feel so much better," I sigh. And I really do. Such is the life of an addict.

"BeaBea, you ready for the Reaping?"

"Ugh. Is that today? I'm not gonna go."

"You have to. If you get caught ditching, you'll be arrested. And you don't get morphling in jail."

Shit. She's right. Cornelia is 20, so she doesn't have to worry about the Reaping. I have another two to go.

"You're right…. Whatever. I will just leave from here." I don't care what I look like. My hair is always frizzed out even when washed. My clothes only have some smudges of dirt. No puke or blood. I'm presentable enough.

I sit and get extremely high for the next few hours. The Reapings last forever. I'm gonna need it.

Finally we leave for the Reaping. Cornelia helps me walk for the first half the trip because I am too occupied with watching the tiny unicorns flying around my head. I named one Princess Buttercup.

~v~

We eventually reach the Town Square, where I am barely able to walk to my area. This year's Reaping isn't too bad, because the unicorns are holding a dance part on the Mayor's head, and our Escort is TOTALLY whacked out this year. Except I'm not the sure if that's the morophling thinking for me or if she is really dressed up as a birthday cake this year, candles and all.

"BEA SCHAFFER!"

What? I'm confused? Why is the cake saying my na-fuck.

"BEA SCHAFFER! COME ON UP BEA SCHAFFER!"

I walk up to the platform. I really want to take a bite of the Escort. She looks like she could be a chocolate cake, which is my favorite. I just stand there looking out into the crowd. Whoa. There are a lot of people in District 6.

"CHESTER PENDRAGON!"

I look around the guys section to see who get's to join me onstage, but it takes me a minute to see him. He's tiny. Holy shit, he is really really tiny. And he's crying. A lot. Awwww, why is he crying? He get's to be next to with me and the cake!

He is sticking his hand out, and I just stare at it. Oh, yeah. Shake it. I have to shake it.

A Peacekeeper is pushing me towards the Justice Building. Shit. They know about the Morphling, they know…. Oh. That's right. I was Reaped. A Tribute. The Hunger Games. I have to fight in the Hunger Games.

_Chester Pendragon, 12_

I'm crying. I can't think or hear or say anything. Just tears. I'm scared. I'm so scared. I know I'm going to die. My mom and dad and sister hug me and kiss me a lot. They tell me they love me. I try to tell them back, but I can't say anything. I can only sob.

"Son… Chester. Chesty. I want you to know that I love you. So much. You have been an amazing son," my dad says through his tears.

Have been. I have been an amazing son. I start to cry even harder. I don't wanna die. I don't wanna die. I don't wanna die.

Before I know, the Peacekeeper is dragging my family out. I try to run with them, but a Peacekeeper holds me back.

I don't wanna go. I don't wanna leave District 6. I don't wanna leave my family. I will gladly be bullied by Calvin everyday for the rest of my life. I don't care. But I don't want to leave. This is my home. I don't wanna play in the Hunger Games. I don't wanna die.

~v~

The Peacekeepers literally have to carry me onto the train kicking and screaming. I don't care that I am on TV. I just want to stay here. As soon as I get on the train I'm shown to my designated room, I run in and shut the door. I don't care about meeting with my mentors or the Escort. The Escort looks stupid anyways. I just want to go back home.

"Hey Chester, it's time to eat," I hear a voice say. I'm not sure who it is. I'm starving, so I open the door. Bea is standing there. "Come on. The food looks pretty good."

I walk into the room where the table is, and only see Bea and the Escort sitting down. I sit down to eat, and I'm amazed. The food is so good. It's so much better than my mom's food. My mom….

The thought of my mom sets me off again. I start bawling. I can't help it; I'm just so scared.

"Holy fuck is that all you do? Cry? I can't listen to this anymore. I'm done." Bea storms out of the dining compartment. So I'm left alone with the Escort.

She is still wearing her ridiculous cake outfit. She looks like she wants to say something, but she doesn't. I want her to say something. I want her to tell me it's alright. To hug me. But she just sits there. I run off to my room and cry some more. When I finally drift off to sleep, I don't even realize it.

_Bea Schaffer, 17_

I am so fucking irritated. I haven't had morphling since this morning, and I've had to listen to that little boy cry for the last, I don't know, 5 hours. Who knew such a tiny little body could cry so damn loud?

I'm also mad because no one came to see me besides Cornelia. I don't have a whole lot of friends, but I thought at least some people would come say goodbye. I thought I had bonded with some people over shooting up. I don't even care that my mother didn't come. She probably wasn't even at the Reaping, probably at home doped out on the coach. I doubt she even found out until well after the train left. I'm not close to my mom; we haven't had a good conversation in years. But still, she's my mom and she didn't even come to say goodbye…

~v~

I wander around the train aimlessly. Hoping to find SOMETHING interesting. I stumble into a compartment with two sickly, gaunt looking people in them. I recognize them as Shyla and Yelod, past Victor's from District 6. My mentor's. I can tell right away that they're morphling addicts. And currently, they looked pretty doped up right now. I scan the room, and see a small coffee table full of needles and bags of morphling. Score.

"I'm just gonna sit right here and shoot up if ya don't mind." If they did, they didn't say anything. They were clearly too far gone to really respond.

"Ahhhhh my god this is amazing," I sigh as the liquid starts to stream into my bloodstream. I literally feel every drop of liquid as it runs throughout my body. It's amazing. I'm becoming numb, and I feel myself drifting…..

I'm not sure how long I stayed in my doped up stupor. But eventually, I found myself in the middle of a conversation with Shyla and Yelod.

"So that's what the Games are like huh?" I hear myself say. I don't remember them describing them to me at all.

"Yaw," Yelod said. I can barely understand what he says. "Ahfol. Horrid."

"So how did you guys win?"

Shyla smiles. "We hid. And hid well."

I shoot up some more. Hiding. I can do that. But before I can concentrate anymore on the games, the flying unicorns start to come back, and I am lost again in the drugs.


	8. District 7 Reaping

_**Hey everyone, just wanna say thanks for reading again! Per usual, reviews would be nice. Seriously. Help a brother out :) Oh, and one more thing. If you like the story, try sharing it with your friends. While I don't care THAT much about how many people are keeping up with the story, I would like to break 10. Or 5. lol. **_

District 7 Reaping

_Kora Ziegler, 16_

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

My alarm clock is extremely obnoxious. But it does its job well. I turn off the alarm and throw my feet over my bed. As I yawn and I stretch I feel the warm sunlight streaming though my window on my face. Today is going to be a good day, I can just feel it.

After I shower, I meet my parents in the kitchen.

"Hey mom, I'm out of shampoo. Can you pick me some up from the store?"

"Sure sweetie," my mom says.

"I'm going to go eat breakfast at Frank's house. I'll be back this afternoon." Frank is my boyfriend and he is amazing. I love everything about him.

"Sweetie, today is Reaping Day," my father mumbles through mouths of corn flakes. "You need to be back in a bit so we can get ready."

"Is that today? Ugh. I hate this day." So much for today being a good day. I hate the idea of sending two kids to die every year. It's so barbaric. We get it, the Dark Days were horrible. I don't see the need to keep punishing us.

"Alright, I will be back soon. Bye!"

I walk across the street to Frank's house. Literally, he lives directly across the street. Frank and I've been dating for a year, and I absolutely adore him. He is at the top of our class, and is totally set up to take over one of the lumber mills as soon as we graduate.

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Lederman. What's for breakfast?" Things stopped being awkward with our parents a long time ago. Mr. and Mrs. Lederman are almost as awesome as Frank.

"Spiced oatmeal, with bread and butter," Mrs. Lederman shouts over her shoulder.

"Sounds delicious! Where's Frank?"

"Right here," he says as he wraps his arms around me. He kisses me on the cheek.

I sit down and enjoy a nice breakfast. We talk about just about everything except this afternoon. No one really likes to talk about it.

Before I know it, I have to head home and change for the Reaping. My mother always makes sure I am wearing something nice. Just in case.

~v~

I convince my parents to wait for Frank and his parent's so we can walk over together. Frank and I walk hand in hand the whole way. I'm actually really nervous. What if I get Reaped? What if Frank gets Reaped? What if we are Reaped together? Would the Capitol let us both live like Katniss and Peeta? These thoughts worry me, and Frank can tell.

"Hey. It's going to be fine. You don't need to worry. You won't be Reaped. In an hour or so, we will leave and go home and have a picnic or something alright?"

I smile. He always knows how to calm me down, even if I'm not freaking out outwardly.

Most people absolutely hate the Reaping Ceremony because most of it just drags on and on and on. I actually enjoy listening to the history of District 7 and the Dark Days. Sure, it's a warped history. But learning is learning.

"Alrighty ladies and gents, cool cats and dogs, get those veins pumping cause it's time to pick out FIRST TRIBUTE!"

Our Escort always tries to make the Reaping an extravagant, theatrical event. He just looks ridiculous up there, and not because his hair is three shades of red, orange, and yellow.

"Our sweet little female Tribute is…"

I hate these dramatic pauses. My stomach is in a taut knot.

"KORA ZIEGLER! COME ON DOWN KORA!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO."

_Danee Collins, 14_

I sit the bed lacing up my boots. It's so early; it's not even the ass crack of dawn yet. But I don't care. This morning my brother and have some business to take care of.

"Aye bro, come on. The Jolson Twins are never late," my brother whispers as he walks into the room. Dalton is three years older than me, and my best friend. Together, we're the best choppers under 18.

"Chill out. I'm ready." I look at the clock on the wall. It's 3:45. Our parents are fast asleep, and we have 15 minutes to make it to the meeting place.

We walk silently out of the neighborhood. A lot of people don't like us already, so the last thing we need to do is piss more people off. As soon as we pass the last house I start jumping around.

"Bro…. we're gonna fucking MURDER them They don't know what they got themselves into We are so much better in the trees than them, GodDAMN I'm pumped for this I can't wait to see their faces when we cream them and-"

"Relax bro. Save your energy for the race."

The Jolson Twins have been talking shit about us, saying how they are better choppers than us. Whatever. My brother can I can cut through logs fast than men twice as big as us. We can move up and down trees like squirrels, and can jump tree to tree with no problems. Most people look down at choppers as manual laborers slaving away in the woods. I wouldn't want to do anything else with my life.

We get to the spot and see that the Jolson Twins are already there.

"Now we were getting worried you weren't gonna show," one of the twins say. I can't tell them apart, so I don't know who it is.

"You wish. Ready for this?" I spit. I can't stand these douches.

"Fine. Rules: There are none. Get up to the top and back down as fast as possible."

I smile. This should cake. Climbing is easy. We are using out ropes and harness, so we don't have to rely just on branches. Dalton and Twin 1 are going first. I'm going second with Twin 2.

"On your mark…. Get set….. GO!" Twin 2 shouts.

I watch Dalton scramble up the tree. He's real fast. The tree has to be at least 100 feet high, so it isn't long before I can barely see what's going on.

"COME ON DALTON. YOU GOT THIS SHIT. HURRY! GO DALTON COME ON! DON'T LET THAT BITCH BEAT YOU!" I scream to the trees. I tend to get really competitive. Before I know it, I see both boys scrambling down. They seem to be neck and neck, but Twin 1 reaches the ground just a few seconds before Dalton. Twin 2 may have a few second head start, but I'm fast.

I'm flying up the tree. Grabbing branches, hoisting myself up. Using the rope to shimmy up. This is truly living.

I'm not even paying attention to where Twin 2 is. All I care about is going as fast as possible. Before I know it, I'm sliding down the tree at a dangerous pace. To avoid my rope catching, I have to let go and re-throw around the tree. Basically, I have to free-fall every now and then. Dalton hates it when I do this, but man it's a rush.

I hit the ground with a thud. I look up and see Twin 2 a little bit behind me.

"WHAT NOW FUCKERS? YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE BETTER THAN US? FUCK YOU. GO TALK YOUR SHIT. YOU KNOW WE ARE BETTER THAN YOU. YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A COUPLE OF SHIT TALKING PUSSIES. GO FUCK YOUR-"

"DANEE calm your ASS down," Dalton roars as he grabs me. I'm on the brink of beating these twins' faces in. I'm so fucking pumped.

"LEMME GO BRO. LEMME LAY INTO THESE BITCHES."

"NO. We proved our point. Let's go."

Dalton has to basically drag me away. I continue to yell profanities at the Jolson Twins. I lose control pretty easily. All of a sudden Dalton slams me against a tree.

"WHAT is wrong with YOU? Can't you act like a civilized person? Why must you always look like a jackass?"

"What's wrong with YOU! They've been talking shit about us and our family for ages, we finally prove how much better we are, and you act like it's no big deal? What the hell?"

"God Danee, you are so immature. You have so much growing up to do."

Dalton just walks away. His words sting. He knows exactly what to say to hurt me.

"ARHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHG," I scream to the trees. The birds wake and take flight. I'm angry and frustrated. I start climbing the nearest tree and start jumping from branch to branch. This is incredibly dangerous. I shouldn't be doing this, let alone at a pace that nearly equals running. But I don't care. I feeling of the flimsy branches beneath my boots, the rough bark against my hands, the smell of pine and dirt. I'm truly at home here in the forest.

I eventually climb down and make my way home. I need to shower and get ready for the Reaping. I don't speak to Dalton the rest of the morning. I'm too pissed off to even look in his general direction. My parents notice something is wrong, but don't say anything. Dalton and I fight all the time. This isn't new.

~v~

We walk to the center of District 7 in silence. No one really knows what to say. Reaping Day is always pretty solemn. Well, except for the Escort, who is all over the place as usual. I'm pretty sure he's a druggie.

"Alrighty ladies and gents, cool cats and dogs, get those veins pumping cause it's time to pick out FIRST TRIBUTE!"

Only the Capitol fools make the Hunger Games into something fun.

"Our sweet little female Tribute is…"

I really hate this man.

"KORA ZIEGLER! COME ON DOWN KORA!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO."

I look around to see where the shrieking is coming from.

I see a girl in pigtails being dragged up to the stage. She had black hair in pigtails, and looked like she could be pretty. If she wasn't flailing and freaking out.

She is thrown up on the stage were she is barely able to stand up. She's shaking and crying. It's really sad, actually.

"Well Kora doesn't seem to appreciate this honor. Let's see if our male Tribute will!"

Honor? Is this guy for real?

"Our rough and tough male Tribute is…. DANEE COLLINS!"

My stomach drops. All of a sudden nothing feels real. It's like I'm in a trance. The next thing I know, I am up on stage.

"Alrighty, before we send our Tributes to the Capitol, do we have any VOLUNTEERS?"

No. No no no. I know what's going to happen.

"I VOULNTEER. I DALTON COLLINS VOLUNTEER!"

"NO." I shout. "NO. I WANT TO GO INTO THE ARENA. NO VOLUNTEERS."

I see Dalton running up to the stage. "NO I VOLUNTEER!"

"I VOLUNTEER TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE VOLUNTEER!" It doesn't make sense, but I don't care. Dalton isn't dying for me.

"Now THIS is exciting folks. Two brothers fighting over who get's to go into the Arena for honor and GLORY!"

Honor and glory? No. I love Dalton. He's my best friend, my brother. I'd rather die than watch him die.

"Well, I'm sorry Dalton since Danee was Reaped, if he wants to be the Tribute than he get's to be the Tribute!"

"NO. No…" Dalton weeps. The tears are streaming down his face as the Peacekeepers drag him off the stages. I want to cry, for my brother. But I know I can't. I need to be strong.

I am forced to shake hands with the girl, Kora. She's still shaking and tears are streaming out her eyes. I notice that she is sorta pretty, if she wasn't a mess. She has the deepest blue eyes I've ever seen.

~v~

Before I know it I'm in the Justice Building. I'm starting to get worried because minutes are just disappearing. Or maybe it's the fact that you have a 23 in 24 shot at being dead within the next two weeks.

Saying goodbye is painful. I have a lot of friends at school. A lot of people I care about. My parents, cousins, uncles, aunts, everyone came to see me off. Except Dalton. No one has any idea where he is. I can't believe it. I know it's hard for him, but I need to see him before I leave. I need to.

With just a few minutes left to say goodbye, Dalton bursts through the door.

"Danee…. Here," he pants. He hands me a brightly painted ball. It takes me a second to recognize it, but then I realize it's a piece of a game we use to play when we were younger. Basically, we had to roll a tiny ball around obstacles we would create with things around the house.

"Dalton, I'm sorry. For everything."

"No Danee, I'm sorry. I-"

"Times up," the Peacekeeper grunted as he started to push my family out of the room.

"I love you Danee!"

"I love you Dalton!"

They are just about out of room when Dalton yells one more time.

"Ayo bro, win that shit!"

_Kora Ziegler, 16_

I haven't stopped crying since my name was read. I just can't stop. I don't know where the tears are coming from, but I know I can't stop.

I'm sitting in my compartment on the train. I've curled up into a ball. I just wanna die now. All I can think about are my parents, my friends, and Frank. Well, mostly Frank. I just can't believe I was Reaped. I don't have any skills. I can't do anything. All I can do is take tests. That's it.

I hear a knock on my door and it slides open. Danee is standing there.

"Hey uh, Kora. Our Escort and Blight and Sorlina want us."

I just look at Danee. He isn't very tall, but is really study. He has dark skin, and a really close cut hair, although it isn't completely shaved.

He offers his hand to help me off the bed, and I take. His hand is hard and calloused. He must be a chopper.

We walk into the dining compartment, where the other three are waiting.

"Oh my GOD is Kora STILL crying? I can't believe you. This is such an HONOR. The Hunger Games are the biggest thing in ALL of Panem. You should feel PROUD you were picked to play!" the Escort rambles on. The tears start coming out hard, and I start shaking.

"What's your name?" Danee asks quietly.

"What?"

"I said what's your name?"

"My name is Benardo Deluna and you should know that by now I've been the Escort for District 7 for eight years and-"

"Shut the FUCK up!"

The compartment goes quite. I just look at Danee.

"No one fucking CARES who you are. Today, you picked Kora and me to DIE. So don't talk about honor and that bullshit. You've never had to be scared in your pathetic little life. Let her cry. You're a piece of shit, and can go fuck yourself for all we care."

Benardo bursts into tears and runs out of the compartment.

"Thank you," I manage to say without sobbing.

"No problem. He was a dick."

"Well then," Blight said, speaking for the Mentors for the first time. "How old are you kid?"

"14," Danee says. I'm dumbfounded. He may not be tall, but he looks much older. I thought he was 17 at least.

"You got some mouth on you kid. You're gonna need to keep that in check in there. That could easily get you killed."

We eat dinner in silence. There isn't anything else to say, really. I'll be dead in a matter of days.


	9. District 8 Reaping

**_Sorry it's been so long since I updated! You know, college. Or maybe you don't. I don't know your life. Anyways I'm not quite sure how I feel about these two. I like them and all, but how do they shape up to the other 14 Tributes we've met? Why don't you let me know in a review? Pwetty pwease?_**

District 8 Reaping

_Anton Findling, 18_

I really enjoyed my walk around the neighborhood this morning. I always wake up at 5:30, walk, shower, eat, and I am at work by 7. I finished school last year, so now I have to work in the factories. I hate it. I sit for 8 hours a day threading machines. But today I don't have to go to work. The factories don't open until after the Reaping.

This is the last year my name will go into the ball. I'm excited, because I'd rather not go into the Hunger Games. I mean, I think I could win. I just don't want to kill anyone.

Today my walk lasted twice as long. I went outside our neighborhood and walked through Factory Row. Factory Row is probably a good 5 or 6 miles long, and is filled with factories on each side. It's a really dirty, slummy, place. I hate it.

~v~

I enjoy my shower. Usually, it is quick. But today, I get to enjoy the hot water. I soak in the steamy shower for what feels like hours. I feel my muscles slowly begin to relax and loosen up. I need more mornings like this.

As I dry off, I look at myself in the mirror. I know I'm kind of a freak. I'm tall and athletic, but my skin and hair are a pasty white color and have to wear incredibly thick glasses. I have a condition called albinism. It's always been an extremely rare condition. But the doctor told my parents I was the first recorded case in nearly 300 years.

I go downstairs, and enjoy a quite breakfast with my parents. It's always a quite breakfast, since I don't speak. I know how to talk, and understand others perfectly. I just see no reason to. My vow of silence has earned me the nick name Ghostie, thanks to my sisters. My oldest sister Caryn is a Peacekeeper, and we hardly see her anymore. But Bianca is a teacher, and she comes over for dinner all the time.

You would think not speaking would really hinder any relationship with my family, but it hasn't. They seem to know what I need to say by just looking at my face. If there is something important I need to say, I just write it down.

Before I know it, it's time to head to the Reaping. I don't want it to be this time, because then I have to go straight to the factory. I really hate working there. But not enough to start talking to get a better job.

I stand with the other 18-year-olds, and recognize a few from school. But no one approaches me. They know it's useless.

Soon, the mayor starts talking. I try to enjoy the last hour or so I have before being forced to thread machines until midnight.

_Zahra Donato, 13_

Ugh. I don't want to wake up. I can hear my alarm clock screaming, but I don't want to get out of bed.

"Rise and shine sweetie," I hear my mom say from the doorway. "It's time to get up."

No. I want to sleep more. So I decide it's time to turn on my baby voice.

"But Mommy I didn't sleep well last night. I am sooooooo tired still couldn't I sleep just a little while longer?"

"Of course Princess. I will come back in a half hour."

Score. I fall back asleep and before I know it my mom is shaking me awake. I know better than to fight it. I've learned how to manipulate my parents so well that I know which battles to pick. I'm always right.

I head downstairs to see my family waiting for me to start eating dinner.

"Thank Eebowai she's up! Now we can eat!" My family isn't originally from Panem. During the Dark Days, the Capitol was low on soldiers and went to the continent of Alaslasia, where my great-grandmama and great-grandpapa are from. They came over for a promise of a better life, and fought for the Capitol. In return they were dumped in District 8 after the Dark Days, and forbidden to speak of Alaslasia. If they were caught, they could be killed. That's what happened to great-grandpapa. Even though we can't tell others, a lot of the culture and language has been passed down. But we dare not speak the old language outside of our house.

"Oh Daddy, you didn't have to wait on me!" I sweetly smile. My brothers give me the dirtiest looks, but I don't care. They can be as mad as they want. It's not my fault I'm the baby of the family.

"Sweetie, we will always wait for you."

Being the youngest, and the only girl, is so amazing. After breakfast, my mother calls me into her room. My mother is a seamstress. Even though District 8 is all about the textiles, you would be surprised how much people would pay for handmade cloths.

"Honey, look at this dress for today. I made it just for you. Close your eyes."

I close my eyes and my mother helps me pull on the dress and moves me in front of the mirror. I open my eyes and am in awe.

"Oh my goodness mommy it's BEAUTIFUL!" And I'm not even sucking up to her. It really is gorgeous. It was a white dress, covered in pink roses. Dog roses, to be exact. I love dog roses. They use to be really common, but they have become really rare over time. I've never seen one in person before.

"Oh mommy, it's WONDERFUL. No other girl in the District will have as beautiful dress!"

And it's true. District 8 is really poor. I mean, it's not as bad as District 10, 11, or 12. But there are a lot of families that don't have enough to eat. Families that have to have their kids sign up for tessera. Which I'm thankful for. The more tessera, the better my odds are on Reaping Day.

"I'm glad you love it. You're going to stand out so much today! But you need to get showered and ready. Now scoot!"

I make my way upstairs and into my bathroom. Being the only girl, I got a bathroom all to myself whereas my brothers had to share a bathroom. Life rules.

~v~

After I'm clean and dressed, my family walks over to the center of town. We spend the walk just talking to each other, laughing, and just loving each other. Although we never talk about it, we're all afraid of today. I couldn't imagine watching one of my brothers in the Games. And me…. I'd die in the Bloodbath. Eventually we reach the center of town, and have to split up. I find my friends Taylor and Lisa and stand with them.

"Oh my god Zahra that dress is GORGEOUS! Your mom is a GENIUS when it comes to clothes," Taylor exclaims. If I'm not mistaken, there is a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"I know, isn't she amazing? I will ask her to make us matching dresses!"

Taylor and Lisa squeal. I know my mom probably won't make the dresses. But for now, it appeases my friends.

Soon after the conversation about my dress, the ceremonies begin. I don't pay attention to anything being said. I'm too busy looking at the other girls around me. None are dressed as nice as me. I smiley smugly. I love standing out in the crowd.

Before I know it, the Escort is on the stage. Huh. I don't recognize her.

"Heeeeeellllllllo District 8. My name is Lucia, and I am the new Escort for District 8! I hope that I can start escorting Tributes and soon to be VICTORS from this BEAUTIFUL DISTRICT!"

I look around. District 8 isn't pretty at all. It's all factories and buildings. She obviously has a warped sense of beauty. Her skin is dyed a bunch of different colors. Like a patchwork quilt. I wonder if she did that just because she is Escorting District 8.

Lucia reaches into the glass bowl on the left. The girls bowl. My stomach starts to tighten. I'm nervous.

"And our female Tribute is…. ZAHAR DONATO!"

What? That's impossible. My name is in the Reaping twice. So many kids have tessera. This has to be a mistake. But no one says anything.

"Zahar, come on up!"

I make my way towards the stage. Breath. Just breath. Don't cry. Be strong. Donato's are strong. I take my place on the stage. I manage a small smile. I don't think anyone is buying it though. This isn't fair. I shouldn't have been reaped.

_Anton Findling, 18_

I watch the little girl walk up on stage. She's small. She can't be older than 14. But she is clearly from one of the richer families in the District. Her dress is unique and pretty. She has no visible bones sticking out. Most people do not have pretty clothes or no visible bones. And hardly any have both.

Part of me feels bad for her. She is obviously young. She is obviously going to die. But part of me doesn't care. She hasn't had to struggle. To fight for anything. Let her fight for her life.

"ANTON FINDLING!"

I hear my name? What's going on? Oh. I've been reaped. I start to walk towards the stage. Huh. I've been reaped. I would have thought I would care more. But don't. I mean, the odds are I'm going to die of a nasty death in the factory or by starving to death in old age. The Games don't really seem like that bad of an alternative.

"Alright face each other and shake hands!" shouts Lucia. I just stare at her for a second. She is…. Multicolored. Bunch of different colored patches. The Capitol is so stupid.

I shake the little girls hand. She looks up at me terrified. I'm tempted to say something of comfort, but I don't have the time. We are rushed into the Justice Building for our goodbyes.

My goodbyes are short. The only people that come are my parents and sisters. My parents are both extremely worried. Bianca is tears. I'm not quite sure why she is crying. Yes, I'm her brother. But she doesn't really _know_ me. No one knows me. Then Caryn kneels in front of me.

"Anton, you're smart. You may never speak, but you have always had a light behind your eyes. I can see it burning bright. Fight. Win. Then speak. You have so much to say. You can be something little brother. You can really, truly, be something. I know it."

Her speech is heartfelt. I see a tears forming in her eyes, but they don't fall. I suddenly realized, she isn't who I thought she was. I don't know her. I don't know Bianca. I don't know my parents. Just like they don't know me….

My family starts to head out. They've said their peace. What else is there to say?

I make a rash decision. Just as they are about to open the door-

"I love you guys."

My first words in 13 years.

_Zahra Donato, 13_

I sit at the table, playing with my soup. I'm making the crackers wage naval war with each other before they disintegrate to the bottom of the bowl. I'm not hungry.

My goodbyes weren't long. Filled with lots of tears. From my family and my friends. And of course from me.

My daddy told me to be strong. That he knows I'm a fighter. He pointed out that there hasn't been a 13-year-old winner in nearly 50 years, that it's time for someone so young to win again. That doesn't comfort me.

The boy, Anton, doesn't talk at all. Lucia just goes on and on about how exciting it is to Escort, how she thinks we have a real shot at winning. I wish she would shut up so I could try to think about something besides the Hunger Games.

"Uh, Lucia. Would you be a dear and go check on dessert? And see if Thom is ready to come out of his compartment?" Cecelia asks. Cecelia is one of our mentors. She seems really sweet.

"OK, Sure! We need Thom so we can start discussing strategy!"

The last thing I want to do is talk about strategy.

"So how to you feel?" asks Cecelia.

"Terrible." I mutter. "I don't want to think about this."

"Well, you're going to have to start thinking about this. I really want to see one of you come back out of the arena."

"HOW?" I shout. "I'M LITTLE, AND HE DOESN'T TALK! HOW IS EITHER OF US GONNA WIN? WE'RE DOOMED."

As I burst into tears, Cecelia gets up and hugs me.

"There there, there there. I know this is tough. I remember my time everyday of my life. It's awful, but never impossible. You just have to focus on what you can do, and make the most of it. That's what we're gonna do sweetie."

I let her hug me. I need to feel someone's arms around me, even if it's someone I don't even know. I wipe my tears, and look up. Anton is just staring at us. Out of nowhere, he rushes out of the room and rushes back in. He has a notepad with him.

He scribbles something down, and holds it up.

"I'm down. Where do we start?"


	10. District 9 Reaping

**_I am updating so soon :O Well, it's because I'm trying to work ahead and I finished both District 10's and District 11's Reapings this weekend. Homework? Who needs to do it. I hope to have ALL the Reapings done and up by the end of next weekend. No promises though. Insert usual plea for reviews and asking to share my story with your friends here. Now on with District 9!_**

District 9 Reaping

_Ivy Castillo, 15_

SMACK. "UGH" SMACK. "ARRRRGH" SMACK.

"Come on Ivy, faster. FASTER. Hit it. Left, right, kick, NICE. Break. Good job sweetie."

I sit on the stool by the punching bag. I'm tired, but I feel good. I love fighting. My dad's an amazing trainer. We've been working together for 6 years now, and I love every minute.

"Ok Sweetie, since today is Reaping Day we don't have as much time. Go inside and get cleaned up."

"But Dad, pleaaaaase. Can we spar one more time?"

"No honey. I have to get ready today too."

My dad's one of the Peacekeepers in town. He has to work today, which totally sucks. I could totally go for another spar. So I go back into the house and call up to my brother Bud.

"Bud, come spar with me. Now!"

"I don't wanna…" he yells from his room.

"Of course you don't, because you're afraid of me kicking your ASS!"

"Bitch please, I hardly ever lose to you," he says as he walks towards the garage.

"LANGUAGE!" My mother shouts from the kitchen.

"Sorry Ma," we say in unison.

I spar with Bud for a good 20 minutes. Even though Bud is only 13, he is really fast and really strong. We're pretty evenly matched. Since Dad isn't around we fight without gloves or padding. He seems to be blocking well. The little bitch. He's been practicing.

SMACK I get him across the face. His face snaps to the side and I kick him in the gut. He doubles over and I take him down. I fall on top of him and put him in a sleeper hold.

"You know, a couple more years and I will be bigger AND stronger than you," he says while gasping for air. His face is turning purple, so I let him go.

"Yeah right. Like that's ever gonna happen."

I head inside to get into the shower first. I made the mistake of showering after Bud once…. Let's just say he's learned what he can use his penis for.

~v~

After my shower, I walk over to the park in my Sub-Development. I meet Corin and Rose there everyday we don't have school. No matter what. Corin, Rose, and I have been friends since we were in the same class in Kindergarten.

"So you won't believe what that bitch Carol is doing. She has been talking to Joey. I mean, TALKING talking. She KNOWS Joey and I have a thing. Ugh," Corin whines. Corin always has something to complain about.

"Corin, you and Joey haven't had a thing in like 3 months," Rose replies.

"So? Carol should know that Corin likes Joey still. If she was really a friend, she wouldn't be going after Joey," I say defending Corin.

"I guess…" Rose mutters.

"Rose, you and I need to tell everyone at school we saw her fucking Kingston at the Field Party last weekend. Kingston will have sex with any girl over the age of 13, so it shouldn't surprise everyone. That should keep Joey away from Carol. You know he hates sluts. That's why he and Corin were so perfect!"

District 9 there are a shit ton of fields. Seriously. Everywhere. The only place they aren't is in our Sub Division where all the not poor people live, and Market Square. Since you can't plant year around, fields go barren at different times of the year. Capitol Fields are heavily guarded and protected, but private fields are always the spot for parties. There's one every couple weeks.

"But Ivy, that's a lie! We never saw Carol having sex with Kingston," Rose gasps. She can be so innocent.

"You're right. But Kingston will go along with it because he thinks the more girls he lays, or says he's laid, the cooler he is. We need to look out for each other. Carol is getting in the way of what Corin wants."

I put my arms around my friends and we talk towards the Reaping. Sure, I may be destroying Carol's reputation. But I don't care. They don't call me the Ice Queen for nothing.

_Geo Fischer, 12_

"And then, we watched a movie about the Dark Days. Ohh man, it was kinda awesome. There were all these explosions and fires and-"

"Mmhmm that's nice dear," my mother cuts me off. No one ever really wants to listen to what I have to say.

"And then we learned all about the history of the Hunger Games and-"

"Dear, just eat your breakfast please."

"OK," I grumble. It sucks being the youngest. It's like my parents have already listened to by sisters and brother, and they don't wanna listen to me anymore.

Halfway through breakfast my brother and sisters come into the kitchen. Finally they wake up. My dad is already out working in the wheat fields, so it's just my mom and us today.

"About time my teenagers rolled out of bed. It's like you were out all night."

"But mom, they were ou-OWWW!" Jackson kicked me under the table.

"Shut up shithead," he mumbles under his breath.

I just stick my tongue out at him. Just cause he is 17 doesn't mean he's all that much better than me. And come on, we share a room. He woke me up when he snuck back in. I'm supposed to be ok with that?

"Ma, I need to go to the field this morning. I have a shift. I will meet you guys for the Reaping," Jessica says as she grabs an apple. Jessica is 19, and works now. She helps drive the tractors.

"Bye sweetie, be careful and see you there. Now you three, let's go figure out what you're gonna wear today," my mom says as she starts to clear the table.

"But Mom, we haven't even eaten yet!" whines Kendal. She's 15 and really whiny about everything.

"Well then, don't be sneaking out and coming home in the middle of the night and get a decent amount of sleep and it won't be a problem, will it?"

"You little SHIT you TOLD HER," screams Jackson as he puts me into a headlock.

"DID NOT DID NOT LEMME GO COME ON JACKSON YOU'RE HURTING ME!"

"JACKSON FISCHER, let your brother go NOW. You will NOT treat him like that," my mother says coldly. It's "that" tone of voice. When Mom uses "that" tone of voice, you listen. Or else.

We all scramble into our rooms and start to get ready, but as soon as we're out of site Jackson and Kendal start smacking me again. I hate them sometimes.

~v~

My stomach starts hurting as soon as we leave the house. Not in the "I'm gonna be sick" way, but the "I'm really nervous and just wanna go home way". It's the first time I'm eligible for the Reaaping, so I am really scared. I don't wanna die. Well, no one wants to die.

Once we get to the center of town, my mother walks me over to the place where all the 12-year-olds stand. She kneels down and hugs me.

"Don't worry Geovanni. It will be fine."

She kisses me and leaves to the back of the crowd. That didn't make me feel any better.

Once Mayor Sharples starts speaking, I start paying attention. Everyone always complains about how boring this part of the Reaping is, but I think it's cool to learn about the Dark Days and stuff. After Mayor Sharples finishes, the Escort steps up to the table where the glass balls are. He is so old. He was the District 9 Escort since before my parents were born.

He reaches his old, shriveled, orange hand into the bowl and…

"Ivy Castillo," he wheezes into the microphone.

There is a loud gasp from where all the girls are standing. I guess she is popular or something. A pretty girl with long black hair walks up on stage. She doesn't look scared at all, instead she looks really… well mean.

"Geovanni Fischer."

What? That's my name.

"Geovanni Fischer."

A Peacekeeper walks over to me and grabs my arm and drags me to the stage. How did he even know who I am? Then it hits me. I feel the tears start to well up.

"Is there anything…." The Escort gasps for breath. "You want to say?"

"I can't wait to bring home a win for District 9," Ivy says with a smirk. She even sounds mean.

"And you, son?" He asks me.

"Umm… um," I stutter. I'm too busy trying not to let the tears fall. "Don't call me Geovanni. Call me Geo," my voice cracks.

Great. All of Panem knows I'm starting puberty. But to my surprise, the crowd laughs. And it sounds real, not like they feel sorry for me. Ivy shoots me glance. I really don't think she likes me already.

~v~

As soon as I am dragged into the Justice Building I start crying. I can't help it. I mean, I've been picked to die. You would cry too.

It was really hard to say goodbye to all my friends from school. Some of them even cried, so I don't feel like quite the wuss anymore. My family was really torn up. Everyone was crying, even Jackson.

"I'm… *HICCUP*… gonna miss you guys so much. I don't wanna go," I cry into my fathers chest.

"Don't worry son. Try to be brave."

"OK Daddy," I sniffle.

As my family starts to leave, I see the way my mom is looking at Jackson. She looks so angry. And not in anyway she has been angry before. Like this was coming from the bottom of her soul. It isn't until the Peacekeepers close the doors do I realize it. Jackson could have volunteered. He could have taken my place.

With that realization, I start sobbing harder than I have all day.

_Ivy Castillo, 15_

As we eat dinner, I just stare at Geo. He's such a little kid. He can't help me in any way in the Arena. And he's already more popular than me. I hate him.

Dinner is actually really really good. I've never had food like it before. It's amazing. It's almost distracting of what I have to do. I have to kill my way out of the Hunger Games.

Suddenly I notice that our Escort has stopped moving. I can't tell if he is breathing.

"Uhhh, is he dead?" I ask.

"Aww shit. Thorn…. Thorn. Thorny. THORNY WAKE UP!" Thelsan screams. Thelsan is one of the mentors for District 9.

"Uh what? I'm awake," he mumbles as his head starts dipping forward. He is so strange. He is old and gross and orange. I mean, everything. Orange. It's disgusting.

"Geo, help Thornelius to his room please. He won't be able to make it by himself," Vilana says. She won pretty recently, the 72nd Hunger Games. So she is still really young, probably 5 or 6 years older than me.

"OK I will be right back!" Geo says as he quickly jumps out of his seat to help old Thorny.

"So why did you ask him? Instead of me?" I ask angrily. I'm not happy about being ignored.

"Because he's young still. Give him something to do, and he feels important. It will make him happier, put him in a better mood. Better mood means he will be more presentable once we are in the Capitol. Had I asked you, you would have felt like I was ordering you around. You would be pissy and angry. It would be no good," Vilana responds calmly.

I didn't want to admit it, but she was right. It would have pissed me off.

"You certainly know how to read people," I mutter.

"I know. That's how I won my Games."

I just play with my soup until Geo gets back.

"OK he made it, but I'm not sure if he will be alive in the morning. I'm really tired so I am going to go to bed. See you guys in the morning!"

How can he be so…. Chipper. So hyper. I don't get it.

"Can I be blunt with you guys? Since I have a 23 to 1 chance of dying really soon?" I ask my mentors.

"Sure sugarcakes," Thelsan winks at me. Ew. He isn't that old, but it's still really creepy.

"I want to win. But I need help. I want you to help me more than Geo. Let's face it. He's young. He doesn't seem exceptional at anything. And he's already gonna be more popular than me from District 9."

"Well we don't know that for sure," Vilana interrupts.

"Don't bullshit me alright. I'm going into that Arena. Think about how you felt. I want and need honesty. I can handle it. I'm gonna have to deal with a whole lot worse in just a couple days."

They are both silent. They know I'm right.

"Yes. You come off as uptight and bitchy," Thelsan says. "Geo seems innocent, cute, and funny. He's naturally charming, your…."

"Cold. Icy. Uncaring," I fill in for Thelsan.

"Yeah… That."

"Listen I know I'm a bitch, and I don't care. That's who I am and I'm not changing that. I already know how to fight. Help me figure out what weapons to use and how to present myself as a formidable opponent. Tell me who I need to ally with and who I need to kill."

The Mentors just look at each other. I don't think they want to help me. But I know they will. How can you deny someone his or her dying wish?

We spend the rest of the night talking strategy. I want to win the Hunger Games. I don't want to die. I want to be a Victor.

And I always get what I want.


	11. District 10 Reaping

_**Alright, another chapter. I'm so excited to get into the Capitol. But until then, PLEASE read and review. I know, it's annoying to see me beg but... I wanna know how you feel about this. And again, share with your friends! **_

District 10 Reaping

_Sasha Fierce, 12_

"Sweetie, wake up. We have to get your brother and sister ready for the Reaping. We have to leave in 20 minutes."

I sleepily wipe eye boogers from my eyes. It's too early to be up. The sun isn't even up, why should I be? But I know why I'm up. It's Reaping Day, and we have a long walk to the Town Square. From our house, it's gonna be at least a 3 hour walk. Our family doesn't have enough money for food, let alone a different way to get to the square.

I get out of bed and help Sissy and Brobo get ready. Now their names aren't really Sissy and Brobo. But that was the nicknames I gave them when I was little, and that's all I've ever called them.

"Come on Sissy. Gotta get dressed," I say as I pull back the covers on the bed she and Brobo share.

"Sleepy still. I don't wanna." Sissy is only 4 years old. My mom died giving birth to her. Since then, it's just been my daddy and my Sissy and my Brobo and me.

"Shh. Daddy will carry you, then you can go back to sleep."

My dad walked back into our room with our clothes. I guess it isn't really a room. More like a big closet. I sleep here with my siblings, while my dad's room as all of our clothes and such. We don't even have a bathroom. This part of the Pen, there is a communal bathroom just down the street.

"Come on kids, we need to get to the bathroom and wash up."

"No breakfast?" Brobo asked. Brobo is 7 and hungry ALL the time.

"No… no breakfast today," my dad whispers. We hardly have any food. It sucks. My dad works almost all day everyday, but it doesn't mean anything. On my twelfth birthday, my dad came home crying as took me outside. He asked me to sign up for tessera. I know he didn't want to ask me but we had no choice. I had to take out enough for 3 people; my dad wouldn't let me take out an extra one for him. I would have done it though. I love him.

~v~

"Uhhh, sheep!" Brobo exclaims.

"Correcto!" my dad smiles. We're playing the game we always play on the way to the Town Square. One person thinks of an animal, and the others have to try to guess which one they are thinking of. My mom made the game up.

Sissy whines and starts to wake up in my dad's arms.

"Shhhhush go back to sleep honey. Shuuush."

It works. Sissy falls right back asleep. We've had to be walking for almost an hour so far. I don't know how my dad's been able to carry Sissy for so long. It's incredible.

"OK my turn! Uhhhhh your first hint is that this animal DOESN'T live on a farm," I say.

"Hmmm. Alright is it a monkey?" my dad asks.

"Nope."

"Is it a bear?" Brobo asks.

"Nope."

"Alright another hint please," my father asks.

"Uhhhh…. It doesn't have 4 legs."

"OH I KNOW A SNAKE!" shouts Brobo.

"Wrong again," I smile. He just looks confused.

"But… but what else doesn't have 4 legs?"

"A spider," my dad says. "A spider has 8 legs."

"You got it!"

"Hey," Brobo whined. "Spiders DO live on a farm. They live in the houses and barns and-"

"Oh shut up Brobo. You know what I meant."

This is my first year eligible for the Reaping. I am really scared. I don't want to let go of my daddy's hand when we get to the Town Square, but I have to.

"Sweetie, I will be right back here. Don't worry. I can see you the entire time."

That makes me feel a little better.

_Harrish Smith, 14_

I love my life. I really do. Even though District 10 is pretty poor, I'm lucky enough that my dad is manager of the largest ranch in the district. I've been brought up my entire life on horseback, herding cattle and such. There is no better life.

"HEEYAW!" I shout as I gallop off on Rayna. I love riding her across the ranch. I feel so free. Like nothing could ever stop me. We're off to bring the herd closer to the farm side of the ranch. The cows will be milked tomorrow, so we need them close by for when the workers come.

It only takes about 15 minutes to find the herd, but it almost takes an hour to get them all back. I have to constantly run Rayna in circles, cracking my whip to keep the cows moving. I know it sounds cheesy, but I feel so powerful on horseback and with a whip. Like I'm in control, in charge. It's the only time I ever feel this way. Even with my dad managing the ranch, we still don't get to choose what goes on here. Technically, I'm not even allowed to be riding a horse and using a whip. But since our family has money, the Peacekeepers turn a blind eye. I'm thankful. I couldn't imagine a fulfilling life without riding.

~v~

By the time I get home, my mother is already clearing breakfast from the table.

"Oh my Harrish you REEK. Go shower NOW. Breakfast will be in the fridge. No arguments. GO."

I wasn't planning on arguing with her anyways. My mom can be a little hectic and overdramatic at times. But she's my mom so I love her anyways.

After I shower I head down for food. By this time, I am starving. Riding really takes it out of me. My mom left a huge plate for me. Toast, ham, sausage, eggs, potatoes, everything. It looked like it could easily feed 3 people, but it only took me 15 minutes to scarf down. I can't help it. I like to eat. A lot.

As I'm finishing up breakfast, my dad waddles into the kitchen. That sounds really mean, but it's true. My dad is so big; his walk is more like a waddle. I take after him. I am only 14 years old, and I am already 6 feet tall and weight 235 pounds. It's gotta be genetic. Or my mom's cooking.

"Son, you won't believe what I just found out. They are sending a herd from the other side of the district here on Tuesday. It seems there was a fire on a different ranch."

"Are they sending anyone else to help?"

"No. That mean's you, me, Randy, and Zarek have are gonna have to work overtime. I don't know how long the herd is gonna be here for."

"If the extra herd is still here by the time school starts, does that mean I can drop out and stay and help?"

My father just snorts at the question. I hate going to school. I'm always trying to convince my parents to just let me stay and help full time, but they won't allow it. I don't see why not. It's not like I'm learning anything useful in school anyways.

"You know how your mother and I feel. You're finishing school."

"But da-"

"No buts," he snaps. "I'm tired of having this conversation. If you ask one more time, so help me I WILL kick your ass straight to the Pens."

The Pens is where all the poor people live. You know, the people who work the low rungs on the farm. Milkers, shit shovelers, egg collectors, and such. It's an awful place. I've only been there once, but it's disgusting. It's no wonder why they call it the Pens. The people live like animals. I feel bad for them. I know it's not their fault. There aren't a lot of opportunities for them to get better jobs. But just hearing a mentioning of the Pens shuts me up until it's time for the Reaping.

~v~

District 10 is huge. Since it's all about livestock here, everything is spread out. We actually have to take a cart pulled by a couple of horses to get to the Town Square where the Reapings happen. It's almost a two-hour trip. And we spend most of it in silence.

No one likes to think or talk about the Reaping. I mean, it's almost always kids from the Pens who get Reaped since so many apply for tessera. But it's still scary to think about. I don't wanna go in the arena. The Hunger Games makes dealing with an angry bull like a piece of cake.

By the time we get to the Town Square, it is almost completely full. I kiss my parents goodbye, and I head over the 14-year-old section. I look to the stage and see that our Escort Terra is just as… Colorful as usual. Terra dressed up like a farm animal each year for the Reaping. I guess she thinks it's a way to relate to the people of District 10. Most people think she just looks like an idiot. This year she is dressed as a peacock. There are so many things wrong with this. One, I've never seen the place in District Ten that has peacocks. It's just a rumor that people joke about. Second, she's dressed up as a male peacock, all colorful and flaunting a huge fan of feathers. It's ridiculous, but better than some of those other Escorts.

Instead of listening to the spiel about the Dark Days, I count how many feathers Terra has on. 67. She has 67 feathers on. Then all of a sudden, she steps up to the large glass bowls. She reaches into the girls bowl and-

"SASHA FIRECE!"

A small, dirty girl walks up to the stage. You can see the tears building in her eyes, threatening to fall in a matter of seconds. Poor kid. She's gotta be only 12, and is obviously from the Pens. It's sad, seeing someone so small and feeble picked.

"HARRISH SMITH!"

My heart stops. That's me. I've just been Reaped.

_Sasha Fierce, 12_

I watch the boy walk up on the stage. He is HUGE. He has got to be a good couple of inches taller than Daddy, and he's fat. He is trying not to look scared, but I can tell. I see it in his eyes. He is just as scared as I am.

We turn to each other and shake hands. I try to squeeze his hand as hard as possible, but he doesn't even notice.

"Now why don't we give out Tributes a big District 10 cheer!" shouts the Escort. I've never heard of a District 10 cheer. There is nothing cheery about District 10.

~v~

Brobo and my dad are crying really hard. Sissy is crying too, but I don't think she really understands what is going one. She's to little to get it. She doesn't realize I am being sentenced to death.

"Honey, you have to come back. I can't lose you. I can't lose you and your mother. Please promise," my dad sobs.

"Ok Daddy… I promise. I promise to come back," I cry. I know I can't promise that. I know I will be lucky to live through the bloodbath on the first day. But I can't tell him that. He already looks so…. Broken.

No one else comes to see me. I know it's not my friend's fault. They have a really long walk back. But I really wanted to see a few of them. Especially Elle. I'm gonna miss her the most, after my dad and sister and brother. I just wanted to say goodbye.

_Harrish Smith, 14_

As we walk over to the train station, I can tell that the little girl is trying so hard not to cry.

"You know it's OK if you cry. You're a little girl. I don't think anyone cares, really."

She just glares at me, and tears start rolling down her cheeks. I think I could have worded that a little better.

Once the train comes into sight, I see Sasha's eyes widen and her lips start to curve into a smile for just a second. Like she almost forgot where this train was taking us. To be honest, I was really impressed too. I have never seen a train like this. The only ones I've seen are used to transport livestock. This was clearly made for humans. The insides were full of paintings and mirrors. There were couches and tables and chairs. This was way nice than where I lived. I can't even imagine the difference for Sasha.

I decide to head straight to my room to take a nap. We would reach the Capitol before nightfall, so I wasn't worried too much about eating. The Chariot Rides aren't til tomorrow anyways. I'm surprised to realize I fall asleep fine. I guess working this morning really took it out of me. This morning…. It seems so long ago. It's like I've started a whole new life, and nothing before the Reaping even matters anymore.

When I wake up, I see Sasha sitting on the floor of my compartment. Staring at me.

"Whoa, what are you doing?"

"Just waiting for you to wake up."

"Uh… that's kinda creepy ya know."

It's silent between us for a whole 15 minutes.

"So how soon do you think we are gonna die?" she finally asks me.

"I don't plan on dying. Neither should you. You can't think like that."

"Oh come one. Look at me. I'm twelve! I can't do anything!" She starts to bawl. "And look at you! You're fat! And what could you possibly do? Face it. We're gonna die."

"Hey now. I'm not fat. I'm husky. And I CAN do stuff. I know how to ride horses."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure there will be tons of horses for you to ride to victory out there."

"You never know. And I know how to use a whip."

"But do you know how to kill a person?" she snidely asks. I'm just silent. "Well do you?"

"No," I murmur.

"Well, I guess we're gonna have to learn."

We just sit there in silence until we reach the Capitol. Neither of us knows what to say.


	12. District 11 Reaping

_**Wow, I can't believe I actually made it this far _. You know, I thought I had this all planned out, but as I was writing I've changed my mind on some of these characters. I'm considering changing things up a bit. Who do you want to see go far? Who do you want dead? Who is your favorite? Leave a review, and maybe this things will happen. Who knows? It is the Hunger Games, after all. **_

District 11 Reaping

_Eulric Oruga, 17_

"Hear the sky boom,

As it brings the rain,

Watch the flowers bloom,

Early in the spring,

Listen to the birds,

As they gladly sing,

Know that time of year,

Fields ripe with riches,

Just for you my dear."

"You know Sloane, you make this sound so much better than it actually is," I grunt as I try to pull a stubborn weed from the ground. That's my job. I pull weeds. If you can call it a job. The little money I take home is pitiful.

"Well Eulric, we gotta do something to keep our spirits up. In District 11 it's too easy to get down."

She's right. District 11 sucks sweaty donkey balls. Nothing about it is good. We grow food we're not allowed to eat. We slave away in the sun. You sneeze out of line and you are beaten an inch away from death.

"A song's not gonna help it. No matter how pretty your voice is."

"Awww Eulric, are you flirting with me?" Sloane says sweetly as she rubs my head. I hate that. I know I'm bald. It sucks. My head gets sunburned all the time. I decide to get back at her in an embarrassing way.

"Yes, Sloane. I LOOOOOVE you." I glance around to make sure there are no Peacekeepers around, and I grab her and start spinning her around.

"I LOOOOOOVE YOU SLOANE. I LOOOOOOVE YOU."

"Eulric put me down! Put me down!" she laughs.

"Oh ok, is that what you want?" I drop us to the ground, and give her exaggerated kissed all over face.

"Oh my Eulric STOP IT. If you're gonna kiss me do it right. Not like some dog," she jokes.

And all of a sudden our lips meet. I feel a tingle in my mouth that shoots through the rest of my body like… well. I don't know. I've never felt like this before. I pull away slowly.

"What just happened?" Sloane whispers.

"I don't know…"

Then we hear the whistle. The one that let's us know that our work is done. The field workers of District 11 just started using it again. After seeing it on television two summers ago, and watching little Rue die… it affected everyone. Like any hope for District 11 died along with Rue and Thresh. For a second, I'm confused. Then I remember. Reaping Day. Of course.

Sloane and I start walking silently towards the heart of District 11. Without speaking, I take her hand in mine. She intertwines her fingers with mine.

"So what does this mean?" I ask her.

"I think this means we are together…"

"HEY GUYS WAIT UP. GUYS. STOP. WAIT. STOP WALKING. STOP. STOP. GOOOOD."

It's our friend Asher. He is also assigned to pulling weeds. He can be a little much to handle at times, but he is one of my best friends.

"Hot damn, what is your guys hurry? It's like your eager to get Re-" The words slowly fall from his mouth. "What's that?" he asks, looking at our hands. Sloane and I just look at each other.

"I guess we're together," I reply.

"Oh. Well, the first born is named after me right?"

_Keziah Sanders, 17_

I hate the Capitol. So. Fucking. Much. It's so not right that the people to live this life of slavery. That's what it is. We have no rights. No freedoms. No power.

I brace myself to jump to the next tree. It's really not safe, but so much faster and easier than climbing up and down all day long. I have to pick fruits from the treetops. I'm a picker. And even though today is the Reaping, we don't get a day off.

There is nothing good about my life. I'm unbelievably skinny because my family has no money for food. The kicker is, my family SHOULDN'T be poor. My Grandma won the 23rd Hunger Games. She lives in Victor's Village, but still has no money for food or anything. She just has a big empty house.

The worst part is, I have to watch my friends die- either out here in the fields or at the hands of the Peacekeepers. And it always comes back to one factor- the Capitol.

As I jump through the trees picking fruit, my mind wonders back to little Rue. It always does when I'm working. Rue worked in my quadrant. We weren't good friends or anything but…. I knew her. We talked. I have seen others die in the Games but…. I never really knew any of them. Until two summers ago.

All of a sudden the whistle is heard. Shit. I haven't met my quota. Whelp, looks like I'm in for a lashing after the Reaping. The joys of District 11.

~v~

"Hey Skezzy, get any good donkey dick today?"

"Sure did Jalen. Your mother is FANTASTIC."

I hate everybody. OK, well not everybody. I love my parents and my Grandma. And I guess I don't hate people I don't know. It just seems so many people my age are just…. Assholes.

"Ha. You wish Skezzy. My momma don't go for girls who were dropped on their faces when they were born," Jalen says all slimey. I get it. I'm ugly. I'm really tall super super skinny. Pimples and oily hair. Gross. Whatever, I don't care what they think.

I try to think of something clever to respond to Jalen, but I can't. So I decide to just brush him off and walk by. But before I'm out of earshot, I hear Jalen's hussy of a girlfriend Tonia shout out, "For the love of God, try to clean up before the Reaping. For the sake of everyone's eyes!"

Whatever. They can say what they want. I don't care. Really. Instead I hurry home to help wheel my Grandma to the Reaping. Since she is a former Victor, she gets to sit on stage. But she doesn't mentor anymore. She can't make the trips all the way to the Capitol.

"Ahh Keziah, just in time. Help me into my chair so we can go," Grandma says sternly. She's not upset or angry or anything. That's just the way she is.

My grandma's wheelchair is a piece of crap. She's been in it for almost 10 years now, and even when she got it was used. It barely wheels anymore. I love my grandma so much. She is so special, so wise.

"Alright, everyone ready?" my dad asks.

"Yup. Let's get this over with," I say. And with that, we head to the Square.

_Eulric Oruga, 17_

"So how long have you been keeping this a secret? How long have you been dating? Why didn't you tell me, I'm your best friend. Shit. Last weekend, when I wanted to hang. You both said you couldn't. You were lying. You were together. You were having sex. I hate you guys. Seriously. What the hell."

I'm literally 5 seconds away from punching Asher in the face. As I turn to tell him to shut the hell up, Sloane slaps him across the face.

"Stop it. No. We weren't fucking last weekend. Calm down."

I smile. This is why Sloane is my best friend. Er, girlfriend. Whatever.

Asher calms down and we start talking about the Reaping.

"So you think it's gonna be little kids again?" Sloane asks.

"I don't know. I hope not. It's bad enough when anyone is killed, but after Rue and the people last year…." I murmur.

We fall silent, and think back to the last 2 years. It's been really tough on District 11. What we need is a Victor, some beacon of hope. It's been awhile since we've had that.

"I think this year is gonna be different. I can feel it. I think we are gonna have a winner this year.," Asher says.

"Oh really wise guy? You can feel it?" I question him.

"Yeah. You gotta have faith. But I guess you're too stupid for that…"

Hmph. I'm not stupid…. Ok maybe a little. But I know how to have faith. I just don't think there's a point to it when you live in District 11.

~v~

Kissing Sloane goodbye before walking to our places was hard. I never realized how much I cared for her.

"Soooo… what does she taste like?" Asher asks.

"God, you're such a creeper."

The Reapings are really boring in District 11. Like, even our Escort is boring. He is just an old man with different colored hair, eyes, and suits every year. At least other districts get some really wacked out Escorts.

He slowly walks to the bowl holding all the boys names. My stomach tightens in a knot. Waiting to here a name called is the most nerve-wrecking thing. It doesn't get any easier as you get older. There is no getting use to waiting to find out if you live or die.

"EULRIC ORUGA!" the old Escort croaks.

I'm frozen for a second. I've been picked to die. I make my way to the stage as quickly as possible. It probably looks like enthusiasm to some, but in reality, I just want to get this over with.

The old Escort walks over to the girl's bowl. Suddenly I realized that it could be Sloane. Sloane has to take tessera out for her family. Oh my god. No. I couldn't. No.

"KEZIAH SANDERS."

I know Keziah from when we had to go to school. I haven't seen her in years, but from what I remember, she was a total bitch. I hear a gasp behind me, from where the Victors sit during the Reaping. I turn around, and see the Victors whispering to each other and looking at the old lady in the wheel chair.

"Well look at that," the Escort wheezes as Keziah takes the stage. "One of our Victor's granddaughters gets to fight for family glory!"

Keziah glares at the Escort. If looks could kill, that man would be dead 37 times over.

As we turn towards each other to shake hands, I can feel her sizing me up. Analyzing me. It makes me extremely uncomfortable.

Before we are ushered off stage, I thought creeps into my mind. I turn around and raise my fists into the air with a triumphant grin. I start waving to the crowd. All of District 11 just stares at me. Not a single peep.

Well, I guess that was a mistake.

_Keziah Sanders, 17_

"Listen to me Keziah, the Games can be won."

"Grandma, I know that. Someone has to win."

"No, you're not listening to me. The Games can be won."

I look into her eyes. I can tell she is trying to tell me more. But I can't pick up on it.

"I…. I don't understand."

My grandma pulls me into a tight hug. With her mouth directly next to my ear, I can barely make out a whisper.

"The Capitol is not as strong as it seems. You are stronger. You can beat them. You can end it. Keziah, you have the strength to change all of Panem."

My eyes start to water, from anger. Frustration. Hate. Fear. Every emotion I have ever felt about the Capitol was resurfacing.

I look into my grandmother's eyes. "OK Grandma. I will win the Games."

~v~

So we're all sitting at the table, trying to eat. Eulric, the Escort, Chaff, Thalia, and me. Eulric is just moving his food around his plate. He doesn't look as happy and excited as he looked earlier. This is probably all a big game for him.

I find myself gazing out the window. District 11 is actually really beautiful. The trees with fruit, the color crop fields. Everything is just so bright. Looks can be deceiving. I'm leaving one beautiful prison for another.

Finally the Escort gets up and leaves to do who knows what, and I'm alone with Eulric and the Mentors.

"So, should we talk about our plan of attack?" I ask.

"That's probably a good idea. We need to come up with a strategy for you guys," Thalia remarks.

"What are the inside tricks to the Arenas? What can we do to exploit what we're given? Can we find a way out? Can we-"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Eulric asks. He looks incredibly confused.

"Girl, you need to watch your mouth. Do you realize where we are?" Chaff growls.

"I know, but we need to do SOMETHING to circumvent-"

"What does circumvent mean?" Eulric asks. He really isn't too bright.

"I'm tired of playing the Capitol's games. I want to end this. I'm tired of being just a lowly player in the lives of the Capitol people. We have the power to do something about it guys!"

Chaff and Thalia exchange glances, obviously thinking the same thing. Eulric is clearly baffled, trying to take in what I just said.

"Keziah…. I think you're losing it. There's nothing we can do. We are Tributes, and at least one of us are gonna die. Focus on living and not some crazy ass plan."

I just stare at him. "Really? You've been picked to die basically, and you want to just give up?"

"I'm not giving up. I plan to fight and win these games. I'm keeping my focus on reality."

He is really starting to piss me off. Can't he see the big picture?

"Whatever dude. Good luck with that. You clearly don't have the mental capabilities to make it far. Do you understand basic fighting principles? DO you know ANYTHING besides pulling weeds? No. You're just a dipshit District Elevener, who is so small minded that they are in capable of seeing what is really going on!" I shout in Eulric's face. I can tell I've gotten to him.

"At least I have something worth fighting for. People who love and care about me. What do you have? Nothing. You're just an ugly bitch who wishes she is something more than what she is," he screams back at me.

I just stare at him for a few seconds before stomping out of the dining room. I don't need this. I don't need him. I'll figure my way out of the Arena, with or without any help.

**_Fun Fact- I didn't even realize til I was writing that the Eulric/Sloane/Asher relationship totally has direct ties to a relationship in my life. Just guess which one of the three I am -_-_**


	13. District 12 Reaping

**_Sorry it took so so so long to update. I've just been really busy with life and such right now. I hope you haven't given up on me! I'm excited to FINALLY have finished the Reapings. I can't wait for the next chapter, when we get into the Capitol! As always, reviews would be lovely. Let me know what you think. Please, tell me who your favorites are and aren't. I've decided to mix up my plans some, so It would be fantastic to know what you guys wanna see! Anyways, enjoy!_**

District 12 Reaping

_Carter Volker, 17_

I watch as my mother rushes around the kitchen frantically. With the way she is acting, you would think she was trying to cook for 30 instead of 3.

"Mother, is there anything I can do to help? You seem frazzled."

"Nope, I'm fine. Actually, go wake your father. Breakfast will be ready soon."

I do as my mother says and I walk to the other side of the house to wake my father up.

"Hey… Father. Father. Wake up. Mother has breakfast ready."

I feel bad for waking my dad up. Reaping Day is his only day off. Every other day of the year, he is stuck down in the mines. My family lives in the Seam, and we are dirt poor. That's an understatement. We have so little money, that eating 3 meals a day never happens. 2 are a good day. 1 is normal. We are so poor, that my parents have not had new clothes in 10 years. I would not have new clothes either, except I have been growing ever since I was 9 years old. I guess it could be a lot worse. At least both my parents work, and there are only the 3 of us. We manage to scrape by.

"Alright, be there in a second," he mumbles. I know better than to push it, and go back into the kitchen. I have been brought up with the most respect for adults. Some people think it is weird that I do not call my parent's mom or dad or ma or pa or any of those variants. I do not care. I love and respect my parents, and I am not afraid to show it.

I head back into the kitchen to help my mother set the table. By the time my father actually manages to roll out of bed and into clothes, the food is all out.

"All right my men, eat up!"

My mom has really out done her self this year. We have eggs, bread, cheese, milk, and ham. Granted, not a lot of each, but some. How she managed to afford it, I could never guess. Breakfast is almost enough to make me love Reaping Day. Almost.

~v~

We still have a couple hours before the Reaping starts, so I take my stash of crude weapons and sneak into the woods for a little practice. After what happened in the Quarter Quell, Katniss and Peeta started training some of the kids in District 12. It is not serious training like what is done in Districts 1,2, and 4. It is mostly practicing wrestling, learning about what is safe to eat, just throwing knives, and really basic archery using Katniss's own bow. And everything has to be done in complete secrecy. But for the 20 or so of us it makes us feel like we actually might stand a chance if Reaped.

I walk to a little clearing that I usually go to to be alone. The first time sneaking out of District 12 was terrifying. I nearly peed my pants at every sound the forest made. But now, I am pretty comfortable sneaking out.

I notice that someone else is already here. I recognize him. I've seen him at some of the training sessions, but I don't know his name. But he is really good at throwing knives.

"Hey there," I call to him. "I'm Carter. Are you here blowing off some steam?"

"Yeah," he responds. He doesn't take his eyes off of a tree about 15 feet from us. "Trying not to think about today." The throws a knife and it sticks. I'm impressed.

"Yeah same… Want to wrestle?"

The boy just looks at me. I can tell he is sizing me up.

"Sure? Why not?" And with that, we start. Little does this kid know I am a badass wrestler. After a few seconds of circling each other, he makes the first move. I easily side step him, and flip behind him. Before he can turn around I have him face down in the dirt and his arms pinned behind his back.

After I get off him he jumps up. "Alright best two out of three."

Two out of three becomes three out of five. Then five out of seven. After pinning him five times in a row, he finally gives up. He seems to be frustrated.

"I bet you can't do this!" He runs over to a bush and pulls out a bow and a sheath of arrows. I just stare in awe. That isn't Katniss's bow. Katniss's bow is the only one I'm of aware of in the whole District. The boy quickly fires off 3 arrows in a row like I have never seen from anyone but Katniss. He hit a tree about 50 feet away, all in line. I cannot believe what I just saw.

"So can you do that?" the kid asks as he jogs back from gathering his arrows.

"How… how did you get that bow and those arrows?"

"I made it."

My eyes widen. "You MADE it? That is…. That is in incredible!"

"I know. I'm just so worried about the Games that I…."

"THE REAPING!" I shout.

"SHIT," he yells. He runs off to put his bow away. I do not wait for him to get back. I take off running towards the fence. I cannot be late. My parents will kill me.

_Lindy McCallahan, 13_

"Oh my god you guys, I soooo wish I had a boyfriend!" I sigh.

"Oh my god me too Lindy!" Jesla responded. "But my dad would TOTALLY kill me if I started seeing someone. Well, he would probably kill him!"

The four of us start giggling under our breath. It had to be 3 or 4 in the morning and we were still up. Every Reaping Day our parents let us have a sleep over. Jesla, Blanche, Canyon, and me. We're best friends and have been since we were little. Our parents all owned shops in the Town Square, so we've all grown up more comfortable than most of the others in District 12. This year, the sleep over is at my house.

"Seriously. It seems like all good boys are taken though," whined Canyon.

"You could probably date Balif, Canyon," Blance says with a snicker.

"EWWWWW NO. He is so gross. No way. Besides, can he even DO anything?"

We start giggling again. Balif is known for being fat and, well, useless. He isn't smart or strong or anything. He's just…. There.

Soon our conversation about boys windes down. We try to go to sleep, but everyone is too nervous. I mean, tomorrow is Reaping Day. Well, I guess it's today. Whatever.

~v~

After a few hours of restless sleep, it's time for us to get up and get all cleaned up for the Reaping. We do our hair we try to talk and joke, but everyone is too nervous to say anything meaningful. We pull on our prettiest dresses, and go down to the kitchen for breakfast. There are pastries and eggs and sausages for everyone. All of our families pitch in for Reaping Day food.

Like getting dressed, breakfast was filled with awkward silence. We just stare down at our food and eat. We occasionally look up at each other, but nothing was said. Only today can shut any of us up.

After eating, it's time to head towards the city square. It isn't fair from my house. The four of us walk behind my parents, holding hands. I'm in between Canyon and Blance, and Jesla is on the other side of Canyon. We make our way to our usual spot, never letting go of each other. Mayor Undersee goes on and on about the Dark Days and the history of the Hunger Games. I'm too busy staring behind him. The three Victors from District 12 are all sitting there. Haymitch looks just as drunk as last year, Peeta looks uncomfortable, and Katniss looks…. Well angry. But it's Effie who really catches my eye. This year, she is totally decked out in all silver. She is almost pretty. You know, by Capitol standards. After spending a couple minutes wondering how long it takes her to put on her make up, I realize that Effie is stepping up towards the mic.

"Welcome everyone. The time has come to select one valiant young man and woman for the honor of representing District 12 in the 76th Annual Hunger Games." She's obviously well rehearsed. She walks over to the girls bowl and reaches into the thousands of slips of paper in the bowl...

"LINDY MCCALLAHAN!"

I feel my friends tighten their grip on me. No. That's me. No. The tears are welling in my eyes. I can't stop them. I try not to make a sound as I step forward. Canyon isn't letting go.

"Please… no," she whispers. I look at my friends. All have tears streaming down their faces already. I guess I am taking too long because suddenly I feel a Peacekeeper pulling on my arm.

"Let's go, girl," he grumbles. I walk up on the stage. My cheeks are wet with tears. I don't want to die.

"CARTER VOLKER!"

I watch as a tall Seam boy walks up to the stage. He looks scared, but he isn't crying. He's actually really cute. Tall, with shaggy black hair and deep gray eyes. It takes a second for it to sink in. He's probably gonna kill me.

~v~

My friends are sobbing around me. I'm crying too, but not as hard as them. I feel like I have to save some tears for my family.

"I'm gonna miss you soooo much Lindy-Lind. It isn't fair! You don't deserve to be Reaped! Someone should have taken your place!" Blanche bawls.

"Lindy, please come back. Please I don't know what I will do without you," Jesla adds.

Canyon is too distraught to even say anything. She can barely breath.

"Guys, I'm gonna do everything possible. You know that. I won't just give up. I promise. I will do everything I can to make sure I win and we can have sleep over's in Victor's Villge. OK?" I don't sound very confident. I'm trying to be, but it's so hard when your best friends are crying for your death even though you are still alive. They eventually leave, holding onto one another. My parents walk in. It's always just been us 3. My mom's parents died before I was born, and my dad was raised by his uncle who died when he was 17. We are the only family we have.

"Love, it will be alright," my mother whispers as she holds me. At this point I absolutely lose it.

"I don't wanna die Mommy. I don't wanna die. I don't wanna die."

"Sweetie, don't think of it like that," my dad says. "Think of it like an adventure. You're going to the Capitol. It is going to be amazing. Not many people get that honor."

"Yeah they do daddy, but most of them DIE!" I yell. I feel bad, I know he is trying to make be feel better.

"Love, don't think about death. Don't get caught up on that. Play it like it is a game. If you worry too much about dying, you will lose focus on winning."

"You think so Mom?" I snivel. My tears are finally running dry.

"I know so. You are a smart girl. It won't be easy. But I don't think it's a lost cause. I know you have a chance."

I give my parents one last big hug. Deep down I know it will be the last time I see them, but I try not to think about it. I try to focus on what my parents said. To think of it like and adventure, like a game. Maybe I have a shot after all.

_Carter Volker, 17_

"So is this the point where we start talking about what is goning happen to us?" I ask Peeta and Haymitch. We are sitting down, eating dinner. Haymitch, Effie, Peeta, Lindy, and me. Katniss is nowhere to be found.

"So what is the Capitol like? Is it as pretty as it seems on television? Will we ever get a chance to ever see the city?" Lindy asks Effie. She has not shut up about the Capitol since we've got on the train. I do not think I can take any more.

I push my potatoes around my plate as Effie drones on and on about the Capitol to Lindy. I am eager to get started on the Games. Not that I want to start killing people. I just think we need to be talking about ways to survive, not about the Capitol. I make eye contact with Peeta. He and Haymitch are the official mentors this year. Peeta knows me from the secret practices. Not that well, but he taught me how to be a better wrestler.

"So Haymitch why are you a mentor instead of Katniss like last year? I mean, she seems like such a natural at mentoring and I-" Lindy is interrupted but Haymitch's laughter. Or more like a series of gross snorts. He laughs so hard that the alcohol he was drinking shot out of his nose and mouth and all over himself.

"GODDAMIT FUCK THIS BURNS SHIT MY NOSE SOMEONE GET ME A FUCKING GLASS OF WATER!" he screams as he walks to the bathroom to clean up. Lindy looks completely shocked. She must not be use to that kind of language at home.

"Is it something I said?" Lindy asked Peeta. "I didn't mean to make fun of him or Katniss or-"

"It's alright Lindy," Peeta said. "Katniss just isn't feeling well. While she isn't a mentor, she is coming with us to the Captiol. But she's lying down right now. Don't worry about Haymitch, he gets upset at everyone at one point or another."

"Yeah," I chime in without thinking. "Katniss does not really like this whole process and all."

"How do you know that?" Lindy looks at me quizzically.

"Uh...uh" I stammer. I cannot believe I let that slip. Effie looks confused, and Peeta is giving me a warning glance. We are not supposed to talk like we know each other, even if we are Reaped. The Capitol may turn a blind eye to training in Districts 1 and 2, but they will certainly care if we train here in 12.

"Uh she looked really upset at the Reaping. And did you see her eyes when we walked up? There was a lot of sadness in them." Nice save Carter, nice save.

"Oh… yeah, I guess that's true," Lindy mumbles. She turns her attention back to the food.

"So Peeta, should we start talking about our strategy? At least what we need to do in the Capitol?"

"Sure Carter, we can start."

"I'm gonna go to bed. I will see you guys in the morning. I don't wanna think about this anymore." With that, Lindy gets up and leaves the dining compartment. I'm completely stunned.

"Can you believe that? She does not want to start preparing!"

"Carter, she's a lot younger than you. It's been a tough day for her.

"And it has not been tough for me? I was Reaped too. I did not volunteer!" I do not even realize that I am shouting. An awkward tension in the air.

"That's not what I'm saying, Carter. It's just that you are already more prepared. In more ways than one."

"Whatever do you mean Peeta?" asks Effie. Peeta and I continue to stare at each other, ignoring her. I feel bad. I should respect Peeta more. Even though he is not an adult, he as gone through more than most adults do in their entire lifetimes. He deserves my respect.

"You're right. I am sorry. I am just so…"

"Scared?" he fills in for me.

"Yeah, scared."

"Well, then we should start now," inserts Effie. "I have all the tapes from the other 11 Reapings. Why don't we pop them in? I'm afraid any more than that will keep us up to long, and the last thing we want to do is sleep in tomorrow. We don't want to mess up the schedule before it even starts!" She walks out to get the tapes.

"So is this how it starts Peeta?" I ask quietly.

"Yes Carter, this is how the Games start."

_**OK, so this is my first ever post-note. I hope I did well writing Peeta. It was really hard because I don't wanna stray away from the characters Suzanne Collins has already written, you know? But I felt they would be too important to not include. And I hope you liked the little bit about the Training. I just felt like after living through the Games, and no rebellion, it would be in both Peeta's and Katniss's nature to try and keep as many Tributes alive as possible. So hopefully it wasn't to OOC.**_


	14. The Tribute Parade

_**I'm sure the few of you who set up alerts are like OMG AN UPDATE. I'm sorry it's been sooooo long. I got caught up with school and other projects. I have no desire to abandon this story! I still have it all planned out. I feel like I've gotten a second wind to keep writing, since someone I know has really taken to the story and wants to see it updated. So this is for you, you know who you are. Please leave a review and tell me what you like and don't like! That's what keeps me into this! Anyways, I hope you enjoy the Tribute Parade! **_

_Claudius Ziamba, 18, District 2_

"I can't believe they put us in THIS," I growl. I'm wearing the most demeaning outfit ever conceived. To keep with the stone quarry theme, I'm wearing fancy boots, a hard hat, and a tool belt with tools that barely cover my junk. And that's it. The rest of my body is on display for all of the Capitol to see.

"Calm down Rager, you like fantastic," Cassidy says. She's wearing the same thing, but with added suspenders to cover her… well I'm sure you can figure it out.

"I don't care how I look. I feel like a fucking piece of MEAT!"

"Listen meatboy, this is how we get sponsors. We look good. Hot. Sexy. We will have these Capitol idiots eating out of the palms of our hands. Besides, it could be worse. Look at District 4."

I turn around to look behind us. The District 4 Tributes are covered from head to toe in seaweed. I watch as the boy lifts his arm and jiggles some of the seaweed dangling from his arm.

"You've got a point."

"Hey there my Careers! Are we ready to fuck shit UP?"

I watch as the District 1 Tributes walk towards us. They are both provocatively dressed in beautiful armor, covered in jewels. They have swords at their waists, and flowing capes that seem to be made of gold. They look like Victors.

"Damn, I'm so jealous of your guys outfits. You look fucking hot!" the boy exclaims. I can't tell if he is being serious or not. "Anyways, these little bitches don't stand a chance. My name's Gem, by the way. And she's Pearl."

"I'm sorry for my partner. He's an idiot," the girl says quietly. Cassidy and I both start laughing. These two make an interesting pair.

"Whatever. But seriously, have you seen the other Tributes yet? There are probably 3 that could maybe take us on. MAYBE. I can already tell who the last four standing will be."

I can see right away that Gem is a cocky asshole. But sometimes that comes in handy in the Arena. I can't tell if I will like him or not.

"Anyways, we'll see you guys at the training session. Good luck out there. I heard the Capitolites are monsters!" As he walks away, he slaps by bare ass.

Oh yeah. I defiantly don't like him.

_Bea Schaffer, 17, District 6_

God, this sucks. I haven't had any morphling in over 24 hours. I don't know how much longer I am going to last. The shakes, the puking, the puking out the other end, the headaches. And that's just the tip of this iceberg from hell. I just want to die. Throw me in the Arena right now I don't care. Just make this STOP.

"Hey Bea, are you OK?" Chester asks.

"Do I look OK you little shit?" I snap. He shuffles as far to the other side of the chariot as he can. I upset him. Again. "Listen, kid, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just really not feeling good." I try to rub/pat his back a bit. It feels really awkward, but it seems to comfort him some. Good. I don't know what I will do if he bursts into tears again.

"Do you think our outfits will get us noticed?"

I look down at what we're wearing. We have this jumpsuits that flash random lights. Usually, I would be impressed. But that's because I'd be high as a kite. Now, just looking down just gives me a headache.

"Yeah kid, we'll be noticed. We will probably end up giving some kid a seizure."

"What's a seizure?" he asks. I just sigh. It's going to be a long night.

"All right babies, onnnnnnnnnnne more touch to make you look FABULOUS." I groan and turn around to see Sha'Von walking towards us. He has two sets of giant goggles in his hands. Great.

"Holy Cow these are so cool!" Chester exclaims. Sometimes, I forget he is only 12. He's just a little kid. I try to think back when I was 12. I can barely remember that far. All I know was I wasn't hooked on Morphling yet. It actually really upsets me. Why can't I remember? Becausee of the drugs? Or because I don't want to remember? I'm snapped out my daze by the loud boy from District 7 in the Chariot behind me. I must be 10 feet in front of him, but can still hear every word he says.

"Come on Kora, it isn't that bad. You look really pretty right now. This is our chance to be loved! We gotta make an impression."

"But Danee, I just don't feel pretty in all this make and in this stupid dress and-"

"Your pretty by those idiots standards. Come on. Try to enjoy it."

Something about this boy's voice irritates me. He's so…. Loud. I turn around and snap at him.

"Hey kid, pipe down. I really don't give a shit about you and your partner's problems. I don't need to listen to your yelling or her whining." I notice that tears start to fall down the girls face. Shit. I'm not usually this much of a bitch. The boy just stares at him. His deep brown eyes are full of resentment.

I think I just made an enemy. Whatever. I just want this to be all over.

_Ivy Castillo, 15, District 9_

I'll be honest. I know I'm not supposed to enjoy all of this in the Capitol. I mean, they expect me to die soon. But I can't help it. I loved being pampered by my prep team. I love how beautiful they made me. I don't really get the theme though. It's something about the first people to domesticate grains. I don't remember from school who they were, but they wore like skins and pelts and stuff. When I first heard that is what I was going to be wearing, I was horrified. But the fur I'm wearings is beautiful and it shows off my musced arms, legs, and abs perfectly. I'll admit, it looks like weird on Geo. Like, it emphasizes how small he is. Speaking of Geo…

"So Ivy, are you excited? What do you think this will be like? The cheering? Do you think they will like us?"

The kid does .up. I swear, he loves the sound of his voice more than anything else. Well, maybe not as much as he loves bugging me. When I was Reaped, I didn't realize I was picking up a little brother as well.

"Yeah Geo, I'm sure they will love us," I say to him. Honestly, I'm worried though. I find myself thinking about the Reaping, about what my mentors said. I'm hoping this is my chance to stand out. That the Capitol will notice ME, the Girl from District 9. And hopefully ignore the little boy. If going off looks alone, I'm stunning. But Geo… he's adorable. I can't have him stealing my potential sponsors. I can't. Suddenly, the District 1 Chariot at the start of the line starts to move. I take a deep breath. There is no reason to be nervous. District 9 is one of the last 4 Districts to head down the Avenue of Tributes.

One by one, the each chariot leaves the waiting area. Sometimes, the crowd erupts in thundering applause and cheers. District 1 and 2 got the loudest, of course. Some Districts, like 4, got laughther. But even worse than that, was the ones who got hardly any applause. Nothing but the polite clapping and occasional whistle and cheer. Like the Tributes from 5 and 6. 7 gets decent amount of cheers, then it's District 8's turn. They seem to be the most silent so far. My heart starts pounding, and I can feel beads of sweat start to collect on my brow ridge. I can't be ignored. I can't.

Then it is our turn. The horses start to trot, and I get ready to face the crowd. For the first second we appear, there is hardly any cheering above the usual noise. It's my worst nightmare. This isn't happening. It isn't. I'm overcomed with an urge to throw my first in the air, to pump it like a champion. So I do. And then the crowd erupts in cheers. I turn around, and see that District 10 hasn't come out it. It's for me. The audience loves it. I smile and continue to make the huge gestures. The cheers for the next couple Districts aren't nearly as loud as ours, and I feel great. Geo is smiling and waving. I'm standing here, waving and acting like the head bitch I am. But suddenly, the crowd explodes. The noise is deafening. I turn around to see what the cause of it is, and I'm nearly blinded by some light. As I shield my eyes, I see the cause of the noise. My heart sinks. I know I won't be remembered. I've been upstaged. But stupid freaking District 12.

_Carter Volker, 17, District 12_

I cannot believe what is happening. I cannot see anything around me, the lights are too bright. But it must be brilliant. Of course it is. Cinna and Portia are brilliant. I will be honest; I was not to sure about these outfits at first. I mean, all it was was a shapeless, chunk of coal. Lindy had seemed even less enthused than me.

"Seriously, I can't believe they would put us in this! I mean, after the amazing outfits of the last two years, we get to be lumps of coal?" Lindy had complained as we waited in our Chariot. We looked down. We were shapeless and lumpy, and the material itself felt like actual coal. The thing people in District 12 were dying over.

"Now, do you really trust us so little?" The voice sounded calm and kind, and came from behind us. It was Cinna. He and Portia had come to see us off. And hopefully tell us something about these awful costumes.

"Well, it's kind of hard to see what's going to happen to us. I mean…. Coal." Lindy mutters. But Cinna and Portia just smile.

"Here, you need to strap these lights onto your boots," Portia says as she bent down to help us. "Also, we're going to give you these glasses to protect your eyes."

"Protect us from what?" I had asked.

Cinna just gave a small smile. "You'll see."

That was a few minutes ago. I was honestly shocked when the costumes started to just…. Fall apart. At first, I was terrified that we were going to be left naked. But as piece by piece fell off, I saw that we were not naked underneath. A different outfit lay underneath. One that was translucent and beautiful. Then it hit me. A diamond. Diamonds are formed when put under pressure. Once the coal had completely fallen off, the lights turned on. And this was the point where I knew Lindy and I had outshone all the rest. The lights angled up into our outfits. The lights were incredibly bright, but that's what the glasses were for. As the lights hit us, they would angel out and shine out of the chariot. I looked over to Lindy, and her smile stretched across her face.

I spent the rest of the ride soaking up the attention. I am not the kind of person who likes to make a spectacle, but in this moment I cannot help it. I feel regal. I feel powerful. I feel like I have an actual shot in the Hunger Games.

Soon, the all the Chariots approach the end of the Avenue, where President Snow will speak. He stands up, old and tall and white. I have always been taught to respect all adults but seeing him sent a chill down my spine and turned my stomach into a knot. I will never respect this man, no matter who he is. As I listen to his speech, reality sinks back in. I am not regal or powerful. I am a Tribute. The government that prides itself on protecting its people are send me to die. I have to fight back tears. This is not right. None of this is right.


	15. Training: Day 1 Part 1

_**Hey everyone, long time no updates! I apologize, but now that Finals are done I should be updating a lot more often. Er, at least I hope so. I was actually gonna make the first day of Training one chapter, but it was over 5,000 words and that's a bit much I thought, so I split it into two! Part 2 will be posted early/middle next week, around Tuesday or Wednesday. Hopefully by the time Part 2 is posted, I will have already worked on Day 2 of Training so there won't be any more 2 month gaps. Also, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE leave a review telling me what you think! Or if you noticed a mistake, let me know! I know there are a few of you, I think like 5, who are actually really following and letting me know and I appreciate that so much! But if I know there are more people waiting for an update, the more motivation it gives me! OK, rant over FanFic time!**_

_~Seagar Seward, 15, District 4~_

I walk into the Training Center as confident as I possibly can be. I know I need to muster up courage, and to act like I belong in the Career Alliance; but as the youngest and least experienced, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I'm about to pee my jumpsuit. But Finnick told me to play it cool. If I look nervous and jumpy, the Tributes from Districts 1 and 2 won't trust me. And if they don't trust me, it makes it a thousand times harder to get back to my brothers.

As I look around the Training Room I feel overwhelmed. I can't show off my skills with the spears or with the ropes. I need to either practice hand-to-hand combat, or learn survival skills. I decide to head to the Combat Station. I mean, if I impress the others I should be able to wiggle myself in a good position. We won't need survival skills if we escape the Bloodbath with all of the good stuff.

I pick up a sword from the rack. It's heavier than I thought it would be, but it isn't too uncomfortable in my hand. I take a couple of practice swings before the Trainer walks over to me.

"Alright. The first thing you need to do is learn the proper stance to prepare for an oncoming assault," the Trainer said. He is a tall man, and seems to be in his mid 40's. His salt and pepper hair doesn't make him look old, just wise. As I get into position, I hear a voice behind me.

"Hey Claudius, look at this. Some kid's trying to mess with our swords." I turn around, and see the boys from District 1 and 2 standing there, sizing me up. I feel a strange sensation rise in my gut. I need to prove myself to them, and I know it.

"So what?" I try to say nonchalantly. "I need to learn too." The two of them just laugh at me.

"We don't need to learn," sneers the taller boy. I think his name is Claudius, although I can't be sure. I think he is the one from District 2, the one who always is scowling at everyone.

"I'm from District 4," I say while looking Claudius into the eyes. "I know a few things myself."

"Oh really?" asks the shorter boy. He's handsome, but reminds me of this one jackass I went to school with. "Well why don't you show us what you got," he says. It isn't a question. He grabs one of the swords. My heart starts to race in my chest. He's gonna kill me. I'm gonna die before I even enter the Arena.

"Wait," the Trainer calls.

Yes! The Trainer he won't let me die. I'm good.

"Use these practice swords." He hands the boy from District 1 and me new swords, ones made of a hard plastic. My heart sinks again. I'm gonna be beaten to a pulp.

The boy charges at me, and I barely manage to jump to the side in time. I spin around and try to slash at him, but he's already expecting it and easily blocks my attack. He swings at me, and I raise my sword in time to block, but it's clumsy and my sword goes flying from my hand. He kicks me in the gut and I fall to my knees from the blow. He kicks me again, this time in the chest and I fall onto my back, the wind knocked out of me. He jumps on me and straddles my chest, pinning my arms down with his knees. He puts the plastic blade against my throat.

"You're dead," he laughs. I feel my cheeks flush. I've made a fool of myself, and now the other Careers think I'm useless. I've really screwed this up.

"Hey, Gem, get off the kid! He IS a Career you know," a girl shouts. I look to my left and see the girls from 1 and 2 walking with Anya. Looks like she's already wormed her way in. Shit. I'm so screwed.

"He won't be an asset to us," Claudius grumbles. The short girl just stares at me silently, and the taller one looks like she is considering what she just saw.

"We still can use him," Anya pipes up. "He can be useful."

"Oh really doll face?" asks Gem. "And who might you be?"

"Anya, District 4. His District Partner."

"Listen to her you guys. She's got some mad skills when it comes to fighting, " says the girl from District 2.

I'm confused. I didn't know Anya could fight. It makes me nervous. What else is she hiding from me?

"Well what can he do?" Claudius asks.

"Make him go do Survival Skills, and learn all the planets and animals we can eat, learn different kind of knots, things that might come in handy," Anya says sternly. She's defending me. She wants me around. I have to resist the urge to smile.

"Why do we need any of that?" Gem asks. "We will get all the supplies we need from the Cornucopia?"

"And if the Cornucopia is full of nothing but maces like that one year?" Anya throws back in their face.

"Well then," Gem says as he gets up off of me. "I can't disagree with a pretty girl now can I?" Gem smiles at Anya. His smile is dazzling and perfect, and I feel a knot twisting in my stomach. He's a slimeball.

Anya leans over and helps me get up. She smiles softly at me, and it reminds me just how gorgeous she is. If only we weren't both Reaped…

I head over to the Survival Skills, and let the other 5 Career's do their thing. I feel ashamed, rejected, and embarrassed. But it's not hopeless. I still have a chance. I need to focus on that and find a new way to ensure my longevity in these Games.

_~Sasha Fierce, 12, District 10~_

"Hi there! My name is Sasha? What's yours?" I ask the sad looking blonde girl already at the First Aid Station.

"Kora," she says quietly.

"Have you ever done any type of first aid or healing before?"

She just shakes her head. "Well me neither. I mean, I watched my Daddy fix my little brother and sister a couple times but that really isn't much."

Instead of responding, she just looks back down at the bandages in her hands.

"You know you're gonna die, right?" she whispers. I feel the tears start to build up in my eyes. I can't cry here. Not where everyone can see me. I have to be a strong girl.

"You don't know that! I have just as good a chance of winning as you do!"

She just gives a weak little laugh. "I'm not winning, and neither are you. It will be one of them," she says as she points to the other side of the Training Center.

I look over and see the Tributes from Districts 1, 2, and 4 and it looks like they are arguing or fighting or something. Suddenly two of them start to fight with swords. I watch in awe, as they actually seem to know what they're doing.

"Well, the bigger they are the harder they fall," I say.

"You don't believe that. Not in the Hunger Games."

I'm just silent. She's right. I don't have a shot at winning… I'm just a little girl.

"Tributes, out of the way. One of your fellow competitors got distracted by the fighting going on and grabbed the tip of a spear. We need the first aid supplies NOW."

I look up and see two Trainers carrying over the boy from District 3, and his hand is all bloody.

"Uh, I think should put off first aid for a bit," I say to Kora. She gets up, and silently we walk over to the Survival Skills station. When we get there the Instructor is already talking, so we just stand back and listen as she goes on about poisonous plants.

"Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac are all plants that will irritate your skin immensely. If you eat it, it will cause your esophagus to swell and you may suffocate. Now these berries here…"

I'm trying to listen and pay attention, but it's a lot of info to take in. I wish I had a notebook or something to write in. Before I know it, we're talking about different flowers. The Instructor points out a couple, but I don't remember their names because they remind me of Sissy, and how much she would like them. Sissy. Brobo. My daddy. I need to find a way to win the Games and get back to them. But I don't know how, and I don't think learning about plants is really gonna help me. Suddenly, I stand up.

"What are you doing?" Kora asks.

"I'm going to go learn how to kill someone." I think about what I said to Harrish back on the Train. To win you have to kill. And all these older kids are gonna wanna kill me. The only way to stop it is to make sure I kill them first.

"I don't think I could ever kill someone…" Kora just mutters.

"Well, if you want to win you better find another way around it."

"I could hide," she whispers again. She really doesn't like to speak loud. "I could hide really good…"

She's right. Someone won by hiding before, although I don't remember who or how it all happened. But she's right! I don't really have to kill anyone. I could just hide the whole time and then…

"OOF." I fall down as some boy runs right into me.

"Sorry," he mumbles under his breath.

By the number on his outfit, it seems like he is from District 4. He's taller than me, and probably stronger than me. And he isn't even the biggest Tribute here. I feel tears well in my eyes. I don't know how I'm gonna do this. I don't know how I'm going to get back to my family.

But I can't cry in front of everyone. I just can't. I run off to the back of the Training Center, and look for someplace to hide. But the back has nothing but a bunch of ropes, ladders, and nets that just go up. Without thinking, I start climbing up and up and up. I don't know how long it takes me to get to the top, but it doesn't feel like too long. I look out, and I can see the whole Training Room from here. I can see everyone below, practicing different things. There's a giant net up here, so I decide to climb in it. With all the noise below, I finally let myself cry. No one can hear me up here. I sob and sob. I know I shouldn't cry, but I can't help. I just want to be back in District 10 with my family. That's it.

~v~

"SASHA! HEY SASHA! IT'S TIME FOR LUNCH!"

I look down and see Harrish right beneath me. I guess I fell asleep up here, and didn't even notice.

"OH. OK. IS EVERYONE ALREADY EATING?" I shout back down at him.

"YES. HOW DID YOU EVEN GET UP THERE?" he shout-asks.

"I CILMBED!" I yell back at him as I start to make my way back to the net that let me up here.

"WELL I KNOW THAT. BUT HOW DID _YOU _CLIMB UP THERE?"

"I USED THE NET!"

I look down and I see Harrish smack himself in the face. He meets me over by the net, and as I jump down he starts talking again.

"I know how to get up there and how you got up there, dummy," he says. Strangely, his insult doesn't really hurt me.

"Well why did you ask?"

"I wasn't asking how you got up there. I was asking where you're climbing talent comes from?"

"Talent?" I respond. I'm confused. I don't think that's a talent at all.

"Yeah," Harrish says. The net goes up like 50 feet! Not everyone can climb up there."

I let what he said sink in. OK, I can climb a net. But that doesn't help me kill me people. I just let out a sigh.

"I just wish I knew how to kill others."

_~Tessa Sterling, 15, District 5~_

"Come on Tessa you can do it! Concentrate. Just aim for the center."

I take a deep breath. I let Callum's reassurance sink in. I can do this. I can hit the target. But I don't believe it. We've been at the knife throwing station for nearly an hour, and I haven't even been close to a solid hit. Callum has been hitting the arms and legs almost the whole time and in the last 10 minutes starting hitting the torso. Anytime I even hit any part of the dummy, it's with the handle of the knife.

"Tessa breath. Remember what the Instructor told us."

I think back to what she said. "Extend the arms, keep the wrist stiff, and snap my fingers back." I let the knife fly, and it's a direct hit! Well, not really. But it sticks in the side solidly.

"I did it!" I squeal. I jump up and down and Callum gives me a big hug. The Tributes at the nearby stations give us strange looks. You usually don't hear that kind of excitement in the Hunger Games.

We stay at knife throwing for another 15 minutes. I don't always connect, but I'm getting a lot of good sticks. I'm happy that I'm not totally useless. Maybe I really can get back to my mom.

"Come on Tessa, let's try something different," Callum says. Part of me wants to continue throwing the knives, but I know that we need to learn as much as possible. We decide to head to the knot tying station. Something a little less stimulating after such a long time throwing knives over and over again.

We learn some basic knots first. This time, I catch on really quick. The square, two-half hitch, taunt line, bowline, and sheepshank come easy as cake. Callum has a hard time with them, but I'm able to coach him through it.

"Through that loop, and pull! There, you got it, that isn't so bad!" I exclaim.

"Yeah," he mumbles. "Listen I need to take, uh, take a little break so I'll meet you over by first aid ok?"

Before I get a chance to respond, he's scurrying off to the bathrooms.

"Hmmm. You two caught on pretty quick there."

I turn around quickly, and see a big, not-so-attractive girl standing behind me.

"Uh yeah, thanks," I mumble. "It wasn't too hard."

"Yeah knots are pretty easy. It's just knowing when to use them that gets a bit tricky. I'm Keziah, from District 11."

"Hi, I'm Tessa from District 5! My partner's name is Callum."

"Yeah, I know," she says nonchalantly. Her response creeps me out. How does she know who we are? I mean, I guess our names and info have been plastered all across the Capitol but I haven't really been paying attention. Maybe I should start.

"Anyways, I'm just gonna cut to the chase. You two seem like smart kids. And I really need to find myself an alliance. What do you say?"

I'm completely taken back. She can't be more than a few years older than me, but I feel so small next to her. And besides, I haven't even thought about alliances yet.

"Uh, Callum and I aren't really in an alliance."

"Oh, really? Huh. You could have fooled me."

"I mean, we're just District Partners. We're just helping each other out. Isn't that we're suppose to do?"

"I'm not sure, are there any rules about it?" Keziah smirks.

I don't like the way she says that. Her tone makes it clear that there aren't any rules that say we are suppose to help our District Partner, but I don't like how she's talking down to me.

"I guess not… I'm not sure. We've just gotten close the last few days so…"

"So let's say against all odds, you two are the last ones standing. How are you going to kill him?"

Her question leaves me stunned. I haven't thought that far ahead. I know she makes a good point though. I could never kill Callum. Never.

"I'm offering you an easy out. We team up; you never have to worry about the one to kill Callum. I'll take care of it for you," she says softly. Her tone is different, but it still has a bit of an edge to it. I feel like I can't trust her.

"I… I don't know. I don't think I could ever agree to that. I'm sorry." I mumble.

Her face turns a bright red. She's not happy with my answer.

"Fine. Have it your way. But if you want to win the Games, you actually have to play them!" she spits. She turns around and storms off to a different station.

I'm not sure how I feel about our conversation. She made a lot of good points. There's just something about her I don't like.

"Hey Tessa, you home?" I hear Callum shout at me. I look up, and see him walking back to the knot station. I guess I had dazed off into space thinking about everything Keziah said.

"Yeah," I respond. "Let's go find another fighting station. I have a feeling we're really gonna need it."


	16. Training: Day 1 Part 2

_**Things I've learned- Don't make promises when you're trying to move out of your apartment. Anyways, here is Training Day 1 Part 2. I'm still typing out Training Day 2, but it shouldn't be too long... hopefully. Sorry it's a bit shorter too, only 2 POV's this chapter. As always, PLEASE leave a review! They help give me motivation I swear. **  
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_Eulric Oruga, 17, District 11_

I never knew that fighting could be so precise. I mean, I've gotten into a fight once when I was 13. But it was just punching and kicking and scratching and all of that. But according to this instructor, there are actually different stances and the different types of punches and kicks. It's a lot harder than I thought it would be.

"Now Eulric, when you're fighting someone who is smaller than you, you will probably have a longer reach. Try to keep the distance between you two. If you can, try to take the fight to the ground where you can pin them."

I spend the next 15 minutes sparring with the Instructors. No one has been at the Hand-to-Hand Combat station all day, which I'm OK with. I guess I just want to put off fighting the others as long as possible.

I decide to take a break. I ate too much at lunch, seeing how I never get much to eat back home. I'm not quite over stuffed, but I'd rather not take my chances. I don't feel that puking all over the Training Room will really help me out in the long run. I'm filling up a cup of water at the table by the mats when someone calls for me.

"Hey, you! Bald guy!"

Bald guy. How original. Like I've never been called that before.

"What do you want?" I say before even turning around. Whoever it is has already put me in a bad mood and I just don't want to deal with shit right now. I finish my water and turn around, and see that the skinny girl from District 9 standing in front of me. Actually, skinny is the wrong word. She's more… lean. Tough looking.

"I'm Ivy," she says as she stretches out her hand. I look down at it, and look up to her. Her smile looks forced and fake.

"Eulric," I say without taking her hand. "What do you want?"

"I want to win the Hunger Games," she says.

Well no shit I think to myself. Don't we all? I mean, the alternative to winning is dying so….

"Uh yeah. Welcome to the club," I say back.

"You don't get it. I really want to win. I want to get as far as I can." She's looking me dead in the eyes, and I can't help but feel nothing but confusion. What does she want from me?

"Listen, that's great and all but I don't see the point of you telling me all this." Ivy just stares back at me.

"I….want….to….be…in….an….alliance….with…..you," she says extremely slowly. If I wasn't so taken back, I would be totally insulted.

"Wait, we just met and you want an alliance with me? Why? What are you up too?"

Ivy just walks over to the mat and sits Indian style. She beckons me over, and I sit next to her. I don't know why I am even listening to her or doing what she asks. Maybe I feel like there is something for me in this. I don't know. My whole thought process has been sorta out of wack lately. You know, with the whole picked-to-fight-to-my-death thing going on.

"I'm gonna keep this brief. Have you been watching the Careers?" she asks me.

"Uh, not really," I answer. "I've been kinda focusing on my own thing for now."

"Well, you missed it. The boy's from 1 and 4 got into a fight earlier, and had to be broken up by the Career girls. The way the steal glances at each other, it's obvious they don't like each other that much."

"OK, that's great," I say. "But what does that have to do with us being in an alliance?"

"Really?" is all she says. She just stares at me and I stare back.

"What?" I say.

"The Career's are already starting to show signs of fragmentation. That means it won't be clear-cut Career domination. Some of us stand a chance. Someone like US could win."

I take a second to process everything she's saying. 10 minutes ago I was minding my own business learning to fight and all of a sudden I'm talking to this Ivy chick about bringing down the Careers or something like that.

"How can two of us take down 6 Tributes with years of Training?"

Ivy just smiles. And unlike the first time, it seems genuine and real. For some reason, this smile is even more disturbing than the fake one. Her lips are pressed tight together, not showing any teeth and the corners of her mouth seem to be up near her eyeballs. She seems so… what's the word? Sadistic.

"I'm not saying just the two of us. I'm saying we build an alliance, our own alliance. We scope out and look for the strongest other Tributes, and invite them in. Tell them the plan. I mean, who's really gonna say no? And then we-"

"Wait a minute," I cut her off. "OK. I get it, I seem strong because I'm big. And we look for some of the other big dudes and girls. But how do I know you're actually strong? How do I know you won't just drag us down?"

Her smile vanishes from her face as if it were made of smoke. Her eyes narrow in on me, and I start to feel like I'm gonna regret what I just said.

"Get up. Now," she commands. Her tone of her voice is so icy, I feel like I have no choice but to obey.

As soon as I am on my feet, she starts attacking me. I mean, _really _attacking me. I feel blows it my sides and my legs. I try to use one of the blocks the instructor showed me, but she just kicks me all the way up in the shoulder. I jab at her but she easily ducks my punch. She spins around me and knocks me right in the kidney. I fall to my knees and she kicks me in the back, making me land face first into the mat. I don't think I've ever been so embarrassed in my life.

She turns me around and I just groan, and look to the face of the girl who just opened a can of total whoop-ass on me. For a split second, she looks like Sloane.

Sloane. It's the first time I've thought about her today, and I instantly shudder. I don't want to compare her to Ivy. Never.

Ivy quickly presses her foot against my throat, and a shot of dread shoots through my stomach. I know there is no way I could deny this girl an alliance. That would be more dangerous than taking on the Career Pack alone. OK, that's a bit of a stretch.

"I'm the strongest girl here who isn't from 1, 2 or 4. I know how to fight. And you and me, we're gonna make a team and we're gonna make it to the end. Because I accept nothing less than victory. Ever."

The words themselves seem like some of that cocky shit that anyone would spill when trying to sound intimidating. But the venom in her voice, the sincerity of it all, I know she's for real. She won't let anything get in her way of winning. My new ally is definitely my biggest threat.

She takes her foot off my throat and walks away, without saying anything more. I prop myself up on my elbows, not quite ready to get up all the way. If that's because of the sore body or the sore ego, I'm not sure.

"You're kinda a bitch you know," I call back to her. I know I shouldn't have said it, but I can't help myself.

She just turns toward me, and puts on the fake sweet smile again.

"So I've been told."

_Anton Findling, 18, District 8_

Dinner tonight is extravagant, as usual. Well, as usual for the Capitol. Cecelia, Thom, and I are eating in silence. It's not an awkward silence. They know I never talk, so they don't even bother trying. We decided to wait for Zahra, but after she was a half hour late we just started eating. I'm actually really worried for her. Ever since she melted down on the Train, she seems a lot perkier. Way more perky than any little girl going into the Hunger Games out to be. The Avoxes are just bringing in dessert when Zahra walks through the door.

"Sorry I'm late guys, sorry I'm late. I've just been snooping around. Listening for things."

"Oh really?" asks Cecelia. "Have you found out any useful information?"

Zahra just smiles. "Tons."

I don't understand her. I don't understand how she could possibly be smiling. But instead of voicing my concerns, I give her an approving nod and turn back to my crème brulee. It's so good.

"OK. Well right away in the Training Room the Career Boys had a big fight. I couldn't catch everything they said because my station was a few down from there. But it was clear that the Girls had to step in and fix things. So that's the first group I trailed. The Girls from Districts 1, 2, and 4. They've been meeting on the 6th floor to talk about things. With the druggie and the little boy there, they don't think anyone will ever overhear them. But I was hiding in the closet and heard everything."

I set down my spoon. I can't believe everything I'm hearing. It's like Zahra turned into a Capitol Spy overnight. I have no idea where this spark of life came from.

"What did you hear?" Thom asked.

"They all hate the boy from District 1, Gem. Even his partner Pearl. She made the girls promise that SHE would be the one to kill him. And they all want to drag along the District 4 boy because they think he's weak. The girls from 1 and 4 want to turn on Claudius from District 2 right away, but his District Partner Cassidy isn't too keen on the idea."

I grab my notepad and pen, and scribble out a message. "Anything Else?" I hold up.

"Yup," Zahra said happily. "You won't believe this but…. There is a counter-alliance against the Careers forming!"

Thom just scoffs. "Every couple years someone tries that. Never works. It's always a bunch of misfits."

"Yeah, that's what I thought at first," Zahra said. "But the Boy from District 11 and Girl from District 9 are leading it. Both are strong. I heard them talk and fight after lunch. So stupid. I was literally one station away and heard everything. I just got back from trailing them. Now you wouldn't believe what I had to do to follow them…"

I zone out while Zahra goes on and on about hiding in air vents and around corners. She's a smart girl who knows how to get what she wants. But sometimes, she gets caught up on the details. Like now.

"Zahra, that's impressive," Cecelia says. "But honey, get to the point."

"Oh yeah, sorry" she apologizes. "Well eventually they corned that big kid from District 10, Hamish or Harry or whatever his name is."

"Harrish," I think. His name is Harrish.

"Anyways, he is down. They are planning on only adding a few more members."

I quickly grab for my notepad. "And you want us two to be the ones they pick." It's not a question. It's a statement.

"Exactly!" Zahra shouts. "And I think I know how to convince them to let us join…."

Zahra then starts in on an overcomplicated plan about how to trick them into letting us into their alliance. I don't pay attention; instead I let my mind wander about the whole idea of an alliance. I don't know if it's what I want. I don't want to get to know people, and then have to turn around and kill them. It's gonna be hard enough if I have to kill Zahra. Besides, I don't talk so they are never gonna have a chance to get to know me, which makes a backstab easier for them. But I see the strength in numbers too. And it's not like I'd be alone. I'd have Zahra with me. I try to think about what my family would do.

"Um, isn't that a bit complicated?" Thom asks Zahra. "I mean, that could easily blow up in your face."

I rip off the old message and write out a new one for my ally and my mentors.

"We can just threaten them with what we know. Tell them unless they let us into their alliance, we tell the Careers and then the Careers will go after them during the Bloodbath."

"Oh. Yeah. That works too," Zahra says. She sounds a bit dejected, like her idea wasn't good enough.

We all finish our dessert and eat in silence. We have a lot to think about. Eventually, Zahra gets up and heads towards her room.

"Hey, can we talk?" I hold up the message to show her.

"Sure. And by talk, you mean you write and I talk."

I just shrug. It's the truth. I start to scribble out my note.

"I want to make sure you're OK. On the Train you were so upset. But since we arrived in the Capitol… it's like you're a whole new Zahra. Is the stress getting to you? Why are you so into the Games now? I just want to make sure you're OK."

Zahra just reads the note and stares at the floor.

"I'm trying really hard to be brave and strong. Because of you."

I'm shocked. I don't know what I've done. It's a minute before Zahra starts talking again.

"On the Train, you said, er I mean wrote, that you are willing to work and plan and find a way to survive. But since you didn't say anything, there was no hint of sadness in your voice. No true feelings- that you thought I would die. You made me realize I _could_ do this, if I really wanted to."

I just sit there, stunned. But I feel like she has more to say.

"And I know my friends and my brothers and my parents think I'm just a spoiled brat. And maybe I am. But it's not like I'm JUST spoiled, I worked for it OK? OK, that doesn't make sense. What I'm trying to say is that I've always done things for a reason you know? And usually it was just to get something I want. But now, it's different. I'm fighting for my life. We're fighting for our lives!"

At this point, she's on the brink of hysterics. I just put my arm around her and give her a hug. I can tell that's what she wants by the way she turns into my body and starts to sob.

"I'm so scared of dying Anton. I'm so scared. I don't wanna die. And I know that the odds are both of us will die, and it only makes it worse. I just wanna live. I just wanna go back home and see my family."

As she cries into my shoulder, I feel the tears start to well in my eyes. Slowly, they start to trickle down my face. I'm not sure why I'm crying at first. But by the time I start to taste the saltiness on my lips, I realize Zahra and I have a lot in common. Well, not a whole lot. But I understand how she fells. I just want to go home too.

And then the thought creeps into my mind. To get home, I'm going to have to kill the small girl I'm comforting now. The reality of everything comes crashing down. The Reaping, the Chariot Parade, why we were training, why we were in the Capitol, all of it. For the first time ever, I start to sob uncontrollably. What is going to happen to me?


End file.
